Tiktaalik is the transitional fish-to-tetrapod fossil discovered in Arctic Canada in 2004.
Tiktaalik lived during the Late Devonian Period, roughly 375 million years ago, in shallow streams near the equator. Its fossils combine fish features—including scales, gills, and fins—with tetrapod-like traits such as a flattened head, a movable neck, ribs, lungs, and robust internal fin bones. Those bones included structures resembling a shoulder, elbow, and wrist, allowing the animal to support itself in shallow water or perhaps briefly on land.
The first specimens were found on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut by a team led by Edward Daeschler, Neil Shubin, and Farish Jenkins. The discovery was formally announced in 2006, even though the fossils were collected in 2004.
Tiktaalik is often called a “missing link,” but that phrase can mislead. It was not proven to be the direct ancestor of modern tetrapods; rather, it is a close evolutionary relative that reveals how fish-like bodies acquired features useful for life on land. Panderichthys and Acanthostega represent nearby stages in this broader transition.