Evolution

Taxonomy is the science of categorizing and naming species to an internationally shared system of classification. Scientists refer to an organism’s name by its genus and species name.

In another chart, a phylogenetic tree is used to reflect the evolutionary relationships between groups of organisms. A phylogenetic tree is used to hypothesize evolutionary pasts, farther back than we can definitively prove or record. Where points split is called a branch point, where a lineage evolved into a different path. Where lines connect is called the roots, where a common ancestor is represented in the tree.

Taxonomy Tree

Taxonomy and Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Acipenseriformes

Family: Acipenseridae

Genus: Acipenser

Species: Oxyrinchus

“Sturgeon” is the common name for the family Acipenseridae species of fish. While the exact number of years that the sturgeon has been evolving, paddlefish and ancient sturgeon fossils from the Middle Jurassic Epoch period date to about 174 million to 163.5 million years ago. However, modern-day sturgeons are native to subtropical and temperate zones in Eurasia and North America.

Shared characteristics include elongated bodies, smooth skin, and bony ridges with hardened plates called “scutes.” The species can grow up to ~7-12 feet, with rare record-breaking measurements up to 23 feet. They are bottom-feeders and anadromous fish.

The lack of diverse evolution can be credited to their tolerance to temperature and salinity, bone and skin structure, and benthic prey being an abundant food source.

Phylogenetic Tree (Example)

The prehistoric creature known as Tanyrhinichthys, paired with the modern sturgeon, could be an example of convergent evolution; Similar traits and structures arise in evolution in different species, not just a linear line.

“Other features of the different ancient fishes’ morphology were so different from Tanyrhinichthys that they do not appear to have shared a lineage with one another, nor do modern sturgeon descend from Tanyrhinichthys. Instead the long snouts appear to be an example of convergent evolution, or many different lineages all arriving at the same innovation to adapt well to their environment.” (Milligan, 2020)

A Closer Look at Behavior

Although changes in Atlantic Sturgeon may be scarcely recorded, sturgeons have many different features that help them survive in the wild.

White and pallid sturgeon are two types of special sturgeon that eat other fish as adults.

They have no teeth, which means they cannot bite or rip apart prey like sharks, but they scan the ocean floor in search of small fish and shellfish that they suck up like a vacuum. They use a variety of senses such as smell, tactile and chemo-sensory nerves on their barbels to move around and find their food and/or direction.

Sturgeon also leap out of the water for many different reasons, that researchers are still studying to find a distinct answer for. It could be used to catch airborne prey or aid in spawning rituals.

Evolution Works Cited

Michigan State University Board of Trustees. (n.d.). Phylogenetics. Phylogenetics | Great Lakes Sturgeon. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.glsturgeon.com/sturgeon/phylogenetics/

Goodman, L. (2019, April 1). The sturgeon, the fish that changed history. BrandeisNOW. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2019/april/sturgeon-lanston-mandel.html

Milligan, M. (2020, June 22). 300-million-year-old fish resembles a sturgeon but took a different evolutionary path. HeritageDaily. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/06/300-million-year-old-fish-resembles-a-sturgeon-but-took-a-different-evolutionary-path/133863

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (2023, February 24). Sturgeon. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/animal/sturgeon-fish

Schaeffer, B., & Forey, P. L. (2019, February 20). Evolution. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/animal/chondrostean/Evolution#ref1016736

Baillie, K. U. (2020, June 22). 300-million-year-old fish resembles a sturgeon but took a different evolutionary path. Phys.org. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://phys.org/news/2020-06-million-year-old-fish-resembles-sturgeon-evolutionary.html

Fowler, S., Roush, R., & Wise, J. (2013, April 25). 11.3 evidence of evolution - concepts of biology. OpenStax Concepts of Biology . Retrieved April 7, 2023, from https://openstax.org/books/concepts-biology/pages/11-3-evidence-of-evolution

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