Scientists have unveiled the oldest-known giant tadpole fossil, dating back over 160 million years. Discovered in Argentina, this fossil surpasses the previous record by 20 million years. Imprinted in sandstone, the fossil reveals detailed structures like the skull and backbone, offering insights into early amphibian life. Study author Mariana Chuliver, a biologist at Buenos Aires' Maimonides University, described it as "the most exquisitely preserved" tadpole known.
The fossil offers critical clues to the mysterious evolution of frogs, which are known to have existed as far back as 217 million years ago. At around 6 inches long, the tadpole is a juvenile form of an extinct giant frog. Ben Kligman, a paleontologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, noted that this discovery helps narrow down "the timeframe in which a frog becomes a frog," enhancing our understanding of amphibian evolution.
Published in the journal Nature, the study highlights how the fossil closely resembles modern tadpoles, even containing a gill scaffold system for filtering food—a strategy that has remained effective over millions of years. This suggests that tadpoles' survival mechanisms have been remarkably resilient, enabling them to endure several mass extinction events. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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