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Why did vertebrates evolve to have backbones?

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Although the backbone is one of the most important innovations in the history of life, its origins have long been shrouded in mystery. ... It is a "living fossil" that gives researchers like Holland an insight into how vertebrates evolved in those prehistoric oceans. read more

Speed. It comes from the superior strength that vertebrae with muscle can accomplish as a system of levers when swimming vs. muscle only. read more

Jawless Fish (Agnatha) The first vertebrates were the jawless fish. These fish-like animals had hard bony plates that covered their bodies and as their name implies, they did not have jaws. read more

From our perspective, it is easy to see the later evolution of the vertebrates as a March of Progress: early vertebrates gave way to fish, which gained legs and became four-legged land animals, which eventually began walking on two legs and became human. read more

The vertebrates traditionally include the hagfish, which do not have proper vertebrae due to their loss in evolution, though their closest living relatives, the lampreys, do. Hagfish do, however, possess a cranium. read more

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Evolving robots help scientists understand how we got a ...
Source: inhabitat.com