Robots could play a crucial role in helping scientists unravel the mystery of how fish transitioned from swimming in water to walking on land about 390 million years ago. This innovative approach could provide valuable insights into how the fins of ancient fish evolved to support their weight on land, according to experts.
A team of roboticists, palaeontologists, and biologists led by the University of Cambridge is spearheading this research initiative. Inspired by modern-day walking fish like mudskippers and fossils of extinct fish, the team is developing palaeo-inspired robots to simulate and study the locomotion of ancient fish.
Dr. Michael Ishida, the lead author from Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, highlighted the limitations of fossil evidence in understanding the transition of ancient life forms to land. He emphasised the role of robots in bridging the gaps in research, especially when investigating significant changes in vertebrate movement patterns.
The researchers are constructing robots modelled after ancient fish skeletons, complete with mechanical joints that imitate muscles and ligaments. Through experimental studies on these robotic models, the team aims to gain insights into the movements and locomotion capabilities of these ancient creatures.
Dr. Ishida explained, “We want to know things like how much energy different walking patterns would have required, or which movements were most efficient. This data can help confirm or challenge existing theories about how these early animals evolved.”
Funded by the Human Frontier Science Program, the research findings are expected to be unveiled within the next year. The study’s outcomes could significantly contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary journey from water to land that shaped the development of modern land animals.
In conclusion, this groundbreaking research combining robotics and palaeontology not only sheds light on the past but also has the potential to reshape our understanding of evolutionary biology. By simulating the movements of ancient fish through robotic models, scientists are unlocking the secrets of how life transitioned from water to land, offering new perspectives on the origins of terrestrial life forms.