Did you know that we, as humans, have a lot of traits inherited from fish?
If you thought you knew everything about evolution, you might be wrong! Sure, we share traits with our distant cousins, the primates, but the story goes way deeper than that.
It might sound surprising, but we have some surprising ties with our later ancestors, fish. Yes, it can be strange when you first learn it, but we have many traits inherited from fish, and there is clear evidence.
At first, we were swimming creatures, and millions of years of evolution changed us into the land-dwelling creatures we are today. But even if this change seems to affect us completely, there are some interesting traits we have inherited from fish, and we want to tell you everything about them.
So prepare to learn more about our origins, and get ready to be amazed by the info that you are about to discover!
1. Your ability to speak
Yes, this is a trait inherited from fish. You can say, “Wait, but fish don’t talk! They are rather quiet creatures!” We are here to explain everything. Numerous studies tell us more about what scientists managed to uncover about our aquatic ancestors.
Generally, we know that animals use various sounds to communicate: barks, chirps, and growls. All of them are important in the animal kingdom, and scientists have found a connection between the sounds we make and the sounds made by other mammals. But what about fish?
In 2008, a team of scientists began investigating this connection, and they started with the neural circuitry responsible for vocalizations in toadfish. What they found is surprising! This one circuit of the toadfish is almost similar to the one found in humans and other mammals.
And this is not all! Things are even more connected. The whole structure responsible for human speech resembles that of a toadfish. Muscles, nerves, and bones—all of them are inherited from fish.
2. Bet you were not expecting to hear this!
Ok, so we have the ability to speak, inherited from fish, but what about our sense of hearing? The whole process of perceiving sound waves is incredibly complex, and guess what? It’s inherited from fish!
Our middle ear has two tiny bones that help us hear, and they are called the incus and the malleus. It turns out that these bones are just a modified version of the two bones that fish have and that aid in their sense of hearing: the quadrate and articular bones.
But let’s see how this has evolved over time. Fish have gill openings that are indispensable for their underwater breathing. Then, if we look closer, we can see that there is a specific fish structure called the hyomandibula. This structure laid the groundwork for the ears that we have today.
The hyomandibula transformed into a chamber, and now this chamber is responsible for sound amplification. Next time you listen to some music, remember that your ability to hear is closely related to fish and their evolution.
3. Hernias
This is a rather common medical problem for us, but what you don’t know is that it is entirely inherited from fish. Yes, when tissue pushes through a weakened area in the abdominal wall, it is all because of our connection to fish.
This is a not-so-fun trait and is completely inherited from fish. What else can you say than thank you, underwater ancestors?
The way it goes is that, just like sharks, some fish have their reproductive organs somewhere around the chest area. This is the exact same place human embryos develop theirs, somewhere close to the liver.
Then the journey is different for us and the fish. In humans, for females, the organs descend slightly and become ovaries. For males, the journey is a little bit longer, and because of this, a weak spot in the abdominal wall is created.
4. Your face
If someone ever called you a “fish face,” we are here to tell you that they are not completely wrong. Wait, don’t go. We are on your side, but you need to hear this out.
Do you know that little thing we all have below your nose and above your upper lip? That indentation is called the philtrum and is inherited from fish.
Right now, it doesn’t serve any specific purpose and is not influencing our lives in any way, but what it does is remind us that we and fish are closely related in some ways. During embryonic development, both human and fish faces form in a similar way, and we find this incredibly fascinating.
While you are in the womb, your face is initially made from three major pieces that merge at the perfect time. This same exact process also happens in the case of fish embryos! So, the philtrum is just a leftover from the early facial construction phase.
We know, we know, it might be weird now to look in the mirror and think that you are closely related to these underwater creatures, but this is so interesting, right?
5. Your limbs
Another surprising example of traits we have inherited from fish? Fingers! But how is this even possible since fish don’t even have fingers? This is a great question, and the answer really surprised us.
Let’s get back to the gills of the fish. They are incredibly important to them because they need the gills to breathe underwater. Gills are supported by some structures called “branchial rays.” This is where the secret lies because these structures grow out of special areas called gill arches, and these arches might be the key to understanding our own limbs better.
The genes that support the development of both human limbs and those that support the development of fish gills are very similar. The Sonic Hedgehog gene is the one we are talking about, and what is so surprising is that our arms and legs are so different from what we know as a fish, but somehow we have been connected since ancient times.
6. Human embryos
Let’s get back to where all of it begins! If you ever wonder what you looked like before you were…you the answer is both surprising and interesting! When human embryos are in their early stages of development, they resemble our aquatic ancestors, the fish.
Fish embryos look strikingly similar to human embryos, and this happens because the structure of fish is the one from which we evolved and are who we are today. We and fish have the same start: a head, a body, and even a tail! Hopefully, our tail disappears later.
Both embryos grow gill arches in their neck regions, but then they take different paths. For fish, they transform into gills, and for humans, they transform into structures like our jaw, middle ear, and even our voice box.
So humans and fish are actually quite similar, and those millions of years of evolution transformed us into the complex beings we are today.
What do you think about this? How do you feel now that you know you are kind of related to a fish? Tell us in the comments section!
If you want to learn more about this, the following book might help you: Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
You should also read: Can “Magic Mushrooms” Have a Positive Impact on People?
