= Devonian
{c}
The <Devonian> is a geological period after the <Silurian> and before the <Carboniferous>. Its <fossil record> is especially important for studying early jawed <vertebrates>, the origin of <tetrapod> <limbs> and the diversification of land <plants>.
The <pectoral fin> of <Tiktaalik> combines fish-like features with structures informative about the origin of a weight-supporting <vertebrate limb>. Such a character combination supports reconstruction of a transition without requiring that the sampled individual was itself a direct ancestor.<The pectoral fin of Tiktaalik roseae and the origin of the tetrapod limb by Neil H. Shubin and others>[2006, fin skeleton and limb transition]{ref}
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