Chinese scientists have confirmed that the discovery of the fossil of an osteichthyes is so far the earliest of its kind, and marks a breakthrough in the study of the origin and evolution of early vertebrates.
　　 Specialists point out that this discovery has offered a key to the origin of osteichthyes, thereby providing a new approach to understanding the evolution of vertebrates. Including the osteichthyes class of amphibious animals, reptiles, birds, mammals, and even human beings, vertebrates comprise about 50,000 existing species.
　　 The paleichthyolite discovered in China is the earliest of the known osteichthyes. This species of osteichthyes may be our own ancestor.