Tetrapod Dentary (IMAGE) Uppsala University Caption Tetrapod dentary in a rock matrix. Superbly preserved fossils from Russia, excavated with support of a grant from the National Geographic Society and described today by an international team in the leading scientific journal Nature, cast new and surprising light on one of the earliest tetrapods -- the group of animals that made the evolutionary transition from water to land and ultimately became the ancestors not just of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, but of ourselves. Credit Pavel Beznosov Usage Restrictions May only be published in connection to reports about the Parmastega aelidae study or after permission from the photographer. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.