Evolutionary pathway and genetic mechanisms of fin-to-limb transition in vertebrates (opens in new tab)

The transformation of paired appendage structure from aquatic fins to terrestrial limbs represents a pivotal event in vertebrate evolution, underpinning the colonization of land by early tetrapods. This transition involved profound morphological and genetic modifications, particularly in the distal limb region known as the autopod and in the dorsoventral plane of paired appendages. Recent advances in paleontology, comparative and functional genomics, as well as evo-devo studies have shed ligh...