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Concept

lobe-finned fish

Lobe-finned fish are members of the class Sarcopterygii, distinguished by their fleshy, lobed fins which are joined to the body by a single bone. Unlike the more common ray-finned fish, these anatomical structures are the direct evolutionary precursors to the limbs of all terrestrial vertebrates, including humans. Once a dominant group in prehistoric oceans, they are now represented by only a handful of surviving species, including the coelacanth and the lungfish.

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