Development of the Anglerfish Lure

I am a long-time admirer of the anglerfish, one of the ocean’s most aesthetic creatures. The University of Kansas news service published a news release about an open access study vt Alex J. Maile and Matthew P. Davis titled The Evolution of Lures in Anglerfishes (Acanthuriformes: Lophioidei): Investigating Nature’s Tackle Box. The summary notes that researchers believe that the anglerfish lure first developed in the modern anglerfish’s ancestors about 72 million years ago. The researchers believe that the glowing lures first developed somewhere in the area of 23-34 million years ago. HT to Sarah Kuta for Smithsonian Magazine, who published a good article on the paper titled Anglerfish Are Known for Their Built-in Fishing Rods. New Research Sheds Light on How These Lures Evolved in the Strange Creatures.