# Tetrapods in Nature! November 25, 2020 - [ News ](/news-categories/news) Big news! Blake's application of functional adaptive landscapes to early tetrapod humeri was published today in NATURE! The research shows that the early tetrapod 'L-shaped' humerus provided some functional benefit for moving on land - but that these early land explorers were probably not very good at it. Evolution of additional traits in crown tetrapods resulted in dramtic functional improvements for effective limb-based locomotion and diversification into terrestrial habitats. Dickson, B.V., Clack, J.A., Smithson, T.R. Pierce, S.E. [Functional adaptive landscapes predict terrestrial capacity at the origin of limbs](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2974-5#citeas). *Nature* (2020). See the Harvard Gazette article: [From fins to limbs and water to land](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/reconstructing-vertebrates-rise-from-the-water-to-land/) And, the OEB press release: [Water-to-land transition in early tetrapods](https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-11/hudo-wti112320.php) ![devonian tetrapods](/sites/g/files/omnuum5771/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/spierce/files/tetrapod_scene.png?itok=ngZw-Gxb) Aerial scene depicts two Late Devonian early tetrapods - *Ichthyostega* and *Acanthostega* - coming out of the water to move on land. Footprints trail behind the animals to show a sense of movement. Original artwork created by scientific illustrator Davide Bonadonna. Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)