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A research team including a Penn State biologist completed a new reconstruction of the skeleton of Tiktaalik, the 375-million-year-old fossil fish that is one of the closest relatives to limbed vertebrates.

"Tiktaalik was discovered in 2004, but key parts of its skeleton were unknown," said Tom Stewart, assistant professor of biology in the Eberly College of Science at Penn State and one of the leaders of the research team.

"These new high-resolution micro-CT scans show us the vertebrae and ribs of Tiktaalik and allow us to make a full reconstruction of its skeleton, which is vital to understanding how it moved through the world."

"Tiktaalik is remarkable because it gives us glimpses into this major evolutionary transition," Stewart said.

The original description of Tiktaalik focused on the front portion of the skeleton.