Answer to Question #99261 in Zoology for Helen Najera

Question

What features of the elpistostegalian fishes lead us to infer that they were shallow-water forms?

Answer 1

Elpistostegalians and tetrapods were not only similar in morphology, but the periods and habitats in which they lived also were similar. These fishes  breathed air into their lungs, and could peek above the surface with their prominent eyes. Their fins were much like limbs as the fis could be bent downward as a limb can bend downward from an elbow.