Your Inner Fish

As human beings, we are constantly striving to understand our place in the world and how we came to be. The field of evolutionary biology provides a lens through which we can view the development of life on Earth and, in turn, our own origins. This is where the documentary “Your Inner Fish” comes in, delving into the complexities of the human evolutionary line and providing insight into how our own anatomy and physiology has been shaped by the past.

The program, presented by paleontologist Neil Shubin, takes viewers on a journey through the fossil record and the evolutionary history of life on Earth. It starts with the groundbreaking discovery of Tiktaalik, an ancient fish with some key characteristics of land-dwelling animals, and uses this as a jumping-off point to explore the development of limbs, necks, and lungs. Shubin and his team of scientists also examine the genetic makeup of modern humans to uncover the evolutionary links that connect us to our ancient fish ancestors.

One of the key takeaways from the program is the realization that many of the defining features of our modern bodies have their roots in the distant past. Our arms, legs, necks, and lungs were all bequeathed to us by a fish that lumbered onto land some 375 million years ago. By understanding the evolutionary paths that led to the development of these features, we gain a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of all life on Earth and the way in which seemingly disparate organisms are connected by a common ancestry.