ACANTHOSTEGA

Acanthostega is a shallow-water dweller and an evolutionary link between fish and true amphibians. This suggests that animals specialized for shallow waters are the ancestors of amphibians.

This roughly two-foot long creature lived 360 million years ago. That means it's roughly 276 million years older than the T. rex!

Acanthostega is one of the first vertebrate animals to have recognizable limbs. That means it is a crucial step in the development of aquatic creatures into terrestrial animals!

Acanthostega spends most of its time in the water, but hunts by snapping at prey on the water's edge! This behavior develops into full-blown terrestrial hunting in its descendants.