Researchers Find Tadpole Fossil Dating Back 161 Million Years!
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A team of scientists looking for dinosaur fossils in 2020 made a rare discovery. They found a well-preserved tadpole dating back 161 million years to the middle Jurassic period. This discovery breaks the record for the oldest known tadpole fossil by about 20 million years!
The ancient amphibian was found in Argentina's Santa Cruz Province. Encased inside a limestone slab, it was astonishingly intact. It even had eyeballs, gills, and nerves. Such preservation is rare, as tadpoles' bodies are mostly cartilage and soft tissue. These usually do not fossilize well.
“It’s not only the oldest tadpole ever discovered, but also the most exquisitely preserved,” said Mariana Chuliver, the study's lead researcher.
The tadpole belonged to a now-extinct frog species and measured about 6 inches (15 cm). This is about the same size as the adult of its species. Chuliver attributes the tadpole's large size to the abundance of food and space available during the Jurassic period. This allowed even tadpoles to grow larger than usual.
The researchers revealed their findings in the journal Nature on October 30, 2024. They note that the discovery fills an important gap in understanding frog evolution. Some scientists previously believed the earliest frogs may not have gone through a tadpole stage. But this fossil proves they did — at least as far back as 161 million years ago.
Chuliver hopes to secure more funding to return to the site and search for additional fossils, uncovering new secrets.
Resources: Smithsonianmag.com, Livescience.com
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39 Comments
cassa014 monthsfrogs are cool and i do like them but they are slimy!
naturelover594 monthsInteresting they look so different from what a present day frog tadpole.. But that's so coool!- jeswgrsef5 monthsnice
zawevefi-1738595445385 monthscool......
banywurasino5 monthsomg so cool- darveshiscool95 monthsCool...
tacoo5 monthsThat’s rlly cool. And super cute. I wonder how scientists felt!- alex10005 monthsIt is really cool
zhxsbshb5 monthsThis is a huge breakthrough for scientists and my cuteness level!
dani_the_best5 monthsCUTE!