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According to a new study, a family of Asian fish have been discovered that can walk on land. They use all four limbs to crawl across the ground, outside of water.
The new study explains how during times of early evolution, the earliest land mammals actually came first from the water (because they walked out the water, on their fish legs).
The South Asian hillstream loach is often found clicking to rocks in fast-moving waters. But research just published in the Journal of Morphology suggests that a sub-species can also walk on land.
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At least one species, known as Cryptotora Thamicola, has actually been spotted walking on land. Leading researchers to believe that the humble hillstream loach can do it as well.
Researchers made the discovery by studying the biology of the hillstream. 29 loaches were CT scanned to better chart their muscle groups and skeletal structure. An internal team of researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History and Thailand’s Maejo University also conducted some genetic samples of the loach DNA.
The results reveal that the fishes’ have unusual land-walking capabilities, says Gizmodo.
Of the fish studied, more than ten were found to have bigger hips than normal, which would allow them to take to land.
It’s 2020. We have a pandemic, and now fish can walk. What a year to be alive…
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