The evolutionary leap from water to land was one of life’s greatest challenges, but the biggest hurdle wasn’t developing lungs or legs. Hank Green argues that the most critical adaptation was the evolution of waterproof, keratinized skin. This single innovation allowed our ancient ancestors to carry their internal ocean onto dry land, conquering a new world as highly evolved “landfish.”
- air-breathing fish
- alpha crystallins
- animal physiology
- buoyancy
- challenges of land life
- coelacanth
- collagen
- cornea evolution
- desiccation
- evolution
- evolution of eyes
- evolution of limbs
- evolution of lungs
- evolution of skin
- evolutionary biology
- fins to legs
- fish don't exist
- hank green
- human evolution.
- keratin
- keratinized skin
- landfish
- lobe-finned fish
- lungfish
- mudskippers
- neofunctionalization
- swim bladder evolution
- terrestrial adaptation
- tetrapods
- tiktaalik
- vertebrate evolution
- water to land transition
- waterproof skin
- we never left the water
- youtube
