Why in news
Recent analyses revealed that the South American lungfish genome grew massively (largest genome of any animal) during the past 100 million years, adding the equivalent of one human genome every 10 million years
The forerunners of today’s lungfish were ancestral to the tetrapods, their genomes can provide insight into how vertebrates first evolved limbs that enabled life on land
Lungfish
Lungfish are freshwater vertebrates belonging to the class Dipnoi.
Lungfish are best known for retaining
ancestral characteristics within the Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air, and
ancestral structures within Sarcopterygii, including the presence of lobed fins with a well-developed internal skeleton.
Lungfish represent the closest living relatives of the tetrapods (which includes living amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals).
The mouths of lungfish typically bear tooth plates, which are used to crush hard shelled organisms.
Today there are only six known species of lungfish, living in Africa, South America, and Australia, though they were formerly globally distributed
South american lungfish: IUCN Status : Least concern
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