tetrapods

Early Tetrapods May Not Have Had an Amphibian-Like Life Cycle, New Study Suggests

A new study challenges the long-held belief that early tetrapods, which transitioned to land over 300 million years ago, had an amphibian-like life cycle with a tadpole stage. Researchers examined fossils of embolomers and other ancient lineages, finding evidence of direct development without metamorphosis, suggesting amphibian metamorphosis may be a later evolutionary innovation.