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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11 Comments
mariohx1 daygreat
852128sophie1 dayI can't believe this- suri02201 dayAwesome
bookgirlschool1 dayThis is really awesome!😀
orcaswiminspace1 daywow that is so cool! I didn't even think the nerves and eyes would last that long!
animals_lover1 dayNice!
tennisgirl12341 daySo cool😃😃
browns151 dayIt is so cool
beachgurly20121 dayWow that is quite an amazing discovery. I personally love frogs, they are also really cute!
tesicenopuvy1 daywow thats cool
