of characteristics is rejected. Instead of such classes, degrees and stages of deve 

 separate, parallel characteristics are offered. A passion for separate characterist 

 investigators to polyphyly. At the same time, if separate traits of structure can i 

 in parallel fashion in various groups, then the parallel development of very complex 

 of characteristics like those of families, orders and classes is very doubtful. Ace 

 opinion of Gross (1964), which the author shares, if polyphyly of species and genera 

 sidered fully plausible, polyphyly of larger categories raises doubts, since it has 

 verification. Thus, as long as there are no discoveries proving transfer from class 

 in particular, from fishes to amphibians in several independent branches, it is appa 

 polyphyletic origin of tetrapods must be rejected. 



LEGENDS FOR FIGURES 



Figure 1. Diagram of the polyphyletic origin of tetrapods according to Jarvik (E. Jarvik, 1964, 

 fig. 28) 



Figure 2. Restoration of the anterior part of the ethmoid, rear view. 



1 - Eusthenopteron . 2 - Porolepis ; magnification: 2X (jarvik, 1942, fig. 52 A, 46 A); 

 Vo - vomer; cav. in - internasal cavity (cavum internasale), c. ext - canal for ramus externus 

 narium n. profundus, c. nb - nasobasal canal, fe. ch - choanal notch, fe. ona, fe. exp - notches 

 for anterior and posterior nares; pr. im - processus intermedius, pr. S - palatal process 

 (processus Seydol's), re. 1 - lateral depression of nasal cavity (recessus lateralis), ri. in - 

 internal crest, ri. w. al. - rostro-caudal crest (crista rostrocaudal i s) , sn - internasal septum 

 ( septum nas i ) . 



Figure 3- Rear view of ethmoid. 



1 - Eusthenodon . magnification: X 3/2 (jarvik, 1937, fig. 13), 2 - Pander i chthys , magni- 

 fication: X 1 (Vorob'eva, 1962, drawing - 3; Psph - paraspheno i d, Vo - vomer, art. aup - medial 

 surface for articulation of palatoquadra te complex, c. olf - olfactory canal, c. pr - aperture 

 of canal for nervus profundus, etch. cr. - ethmoid skull cavity, fe. ch. - notch internal nares, 

 fe. enp and fe. n.p.c. - innter postnasal aperture, fe. exp.? - notch of external posterior naris. 



Figure 4. Top view of ethmoid. 



1 - Eusthenopteron (jarvik, 1964, fig. 20), 2 - Ect os teorhach i s (Thomson, 1964, fig. 1 and 

 fig. 6 combined, 3 - Porolepis (Jarvik, 1964, fig. 20c). 4 - Porolepis (Kulczycki. I960, fig. 5); 



a. ci - artery carotis interna, an - anterior external naris, a. pn - artery palato-nasal is, 



b. olf - bulbus olfactorius, cav. in - internasal cavity (cavum internasale), c. nb - nasobasal 

 canal, c. pr. - canal for nervus profundus, c. prm. - canal for ramus terminal is n. profundus, 

 dnl - lacrimonasal duct (ductus naso-lacr imal i s), hem - hemisphere of anterior brain: max plus 

 buc - n. maxillaris plus r. buccalis lateralis VII (truncus inf raorb i tal is), ntr - posterior nasal 

 tube or proximal part of lacrimonasal duct, n. pr - nervus profundus, pi - pineal organ, r. bac - 

 ramus buccalis, r. mn, r. In - ramus medialis and ramus lateralis narium n. profundus, r. mx - 

 ramus maxillaris V, r. 0. lat - ramus opthalmicus superfac ial i s VII, r. pal - ramus palatinus VII: 

 r. prl, r. prm - ramus terminalis lateralis and medialis n. profundus; sac. n - olfactory sac; 



I - n. olf actor i ous ; I I - n. opticus. 



Figure 5- Ethmoid of Eusthenopon from below; magnification: X 3/2 (jarvik, 1937, fig. 16) 



Psph - paraspheno i d, Vo - vomer, art. aup - surface for articulation of palatoquadrate bone, 

 fe. ch - notch of internal nares, fossa ap - apical pit, f. ap - apical aperture, iv. p - pit of 

 i ntervomer i ne canal. 



Figure 6. Diagram of the transformation of the fin of Rhipidistia into a pentadactyl limb. 



1 - Eusthenopteron. 2 - transitional stage, 3 " primitive tetrapod stage (jarvik, 1964, 

 fig. 27); see text for discussion. 



Figure 7' Diagram of the origin of tetrapods according to Gross (W. Gross, 1964, Abb. 3/ 



