Blood pressure adaptation in vertebrates: Comparative biology
With evolution from water to land, the osmotic regulation of body fluids and cardiovascular systems of vertebrates evolved to cope with dryness and gravity. While aquatic vertebrates can use buoyancy to compensate for the effects of gravity, terrestrial vertebrates cannot, and must circulate blood throughout their body – a necessity that likely led to the development of strong hearts and high blood pressure. These changes may be supported by anatomical evolution of the cardiovascular system and by functional evolution, with