Zachary Robert Lewis

2016/2/26

Lungs were once thought to be a universal feature of tetrapods and essential for vertebrate
life on land. This view changed in the late 19th century with the discovery of several
salamander species that lack lungs. Since these species are descendants of lunged
ancestors, the absence of lungs must represent an instance of evolutionary loss. Further
study has revealed several independent losses of lungs across amphibians, including at the
base of the salamander family Plethodontidae. Plethodontids comprise over two thirds of ...