The Jikei University School of Medicine

The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science

Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and History

State University of Rio de Janeiro

Summary

A group led by Dr. Tokufumi Tatsumi, Lecturer, Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Professor Masataka Okabe, Dr. Camila Cupello, Lecturer, Zoologia-IBRAG, Rio de Janeiro State University, Professor Paulo M. Brito, Associate Professor Tatsuya Hirasawa, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, and Emeritus Professor Yoshitaka Yumoto, Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human Development and their colleagues have revealed for the first time in the world that vertebrates changed their lung morphology from unpaired to paired lungs when they landed from the water.

This research has revealed details of the evolution of the lungs that were previously unknown in the fossil record. Using extant organisms, it has become clear that the lungs became more efficient for breathing on land by expanding their surface area, improving ventilation efficiency, and increasing their volume. This research is expected to lead to future studies that will unravel the evolution of vertebrates from underwater to land.

The research results were published in eLife on July 26, 2022.

Figure: The lungs were originally one, and in many fish species, such as sturgeon, they were replaced by a "lung sac," and it was not until amphibians that a true pair of lungs (paired lungs) was formed. © Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History

For more information, please visit the website of the Tokyo Jikei University School of Medicine.