Fig. 5.

Inferred strain patterns in the skulls of Eusthenopteron, Acanthostega, and Phonerpeton based on sutural morphology. Strain patterns observed in the extant fish Polypterus (23) are included for comparison. The strain pattern inferred for Acanthostega suggests that it may have been capable of feeding on land, although Acanthostega may also have occasionally captured prey by means of suction in the aquatic realm. Dorsal view reconstructions are modified from published illustrations: Polypterus (26), Eusthenopteron (30), Phonerpeton (24), and Acanthostega (31). See Figs. 1–3 for suture morphologies and bone labels.