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Amphibious stem-insect sheds light on colonization of land

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Why This Matters

This collection of studies highlights the pivotal moments in the transition of life from aquatic to terrestrial environments, shedding light on the evolutionary timeline of land colonization by plants, arthropods, and other invertebrates. Understanding these ancient adaptations informs both the history of life on Earth and the development of modern ecosystems, offering insights into resilience and evolutionary innovation relevant to current environmental challenges.

Key Takeaways

Morris, J. L. et al. The timescale of early land plant evolution. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 115, E2274–E2283 (2018).

Lozano-Fernandez, J. et al. A molecular palaeobiological exploration of arthropod terrestrialization. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 371, 20150133 (2016).

Lozano-Fernandez, J. et al. A Cambrian–Ordovician terrestrialization of arachnids. Front. Genet. 11, 182 (2020).

Mángano, M. G., Buatois, L. A., Astini, R. & Rindsberg, A. K. Trilobites in early Cambrian tidal flats and the landward expansion of the Cambrian explosion. Geology 42, 143–146 (2014).

Edgecombe, G. D. et al. Aquatic stem group myriapods close a gap between molecular divergence dates and the terrestrial fossil record. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 117, 8966–8972 (2020).

Lamsdell, J. C., McCoy, V. E., Perron-Feller, O. A. & Hopkins, M. J. Air breathing in an exceptionally preserved 340-million-year-old sea scorpion. Curr. Biol. 30, 4316–4321 (2020).

Ward, P., Labandeira, C., Laurin, M. & Berner, R. A. Confirmation of Romer’s Gap as a low oxygen interval constraining the timing of initial arthropod and vertebrate terrestrialization. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103, 16818–16822 (2006).

Garrouste, R. et al. A complete insect from the Late Devonian period. Nature 488, 82–85 (2012).

Rota-Stabelli, O., Daley, A. C. & Pisani, D. Molecular timetrees reveal a Cambrian colonization of land and a new scenario for ecdysozoan evolution. Curr. Biol. 23, 392–398 (2013).

Gueriau, P. et al. A new Devonian euthycarcinoid reveals the use of different respiratory strategies during the marine-to-terrestrial transition in the myriapod lineage. R. Soc. Open Sci. 7, 201037 (2020).

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