This seminar will explore two complementary lines of research on the evolutionary transition from water to land. First, I will present new discoveries from the fossil record of early tetrapods that provide insight into how walking first evolved. Then, I will discuss how studies of mudskippers, small amphibious fishes that live in mangroves and on beaches, are revealing that blinking is likely a key adaptation for aerial vision. Together, these projects show how functional innovation emerges at evolutionary timescales and the importance of integrating between paleontological and neontological datasets.