Sacabambaspis, a 460 million-year-old jawless relative of modern jawed fishes, swims in the shallow coastal waters of modern day Bolivia

Fish likely evolved from shallow shorelines, dating back more than 400 years ago, according to scientists.

New findings were published in Science magazine Friday on the evolution of vertebrae fish during the middle Paleozoic era, from 480 million to 360 million years ago.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, University of Manchester and University of Birmingham.

The team focused primarily on fossil vertebrates, both jawed and jawless fish. Scientists found that larger fish diversified near shorelines, and later thinner fish populated deeper marine and freshwater habitats.

UPI

26/10/2018