What is protopteridales?

Answer 1

Protopteridales is an order of ancient, primarily freshwater, fish known as dipnoans or lungfish, which are characterized by their ability to breathe air using lungs as well as gills. This group is significant in understanding the evolutionary transition of vertebrates from water to land. Dipnoans have unique adaptations, including a modified swim bladder that functions as a lung, and they can survive in oxygen-poor environments by aestivating in mud during droughts. The order Protopteridales includes extinct species, providing insights into the evolutionary history of both fish and tetrapods.