Calling Sallymander: Scientists discover "frogamander" fossil

[Shakespeare]

Cool!

The discovery of a "frogamander," a 290 million-year-old fossil that links modern frogs and salamanders, may resolve a longstanding debate about amphibian ancestry, Canadian scientists said on Wednesday.

Modern amphibians -- frogs, salamanders and earthworm-like caecilians -- have been a bit slippery about divulging their evolutionary ancestry. Gaps in the fossil record showing the transformation of one form into another have led to a lot of scientific debate.

The fossil Gerobatrachus hottoni or elderly frog, described in the journal Nature, may help set the record straight.

"It's a missing link that falls right between where the fossil record of the extinct form and the fossil record for the modern form begins," said Jason Anderson of the University of Calgary, who led the study.

"It's a perfect little frogamander," he said.

Gerobatrachus has a mixture of frog and salamander features, with fused ankle bones as seen only in salamanders, a wide, frog-like skull, and a backbone that resembles a mix of the two.

The fossil suggests that modern amphibians may have come from two groups, with frogs and salamanders related to an ancient amphibian known as a temnospondyl, and worm-like caecilians more closely related to the lepospondyls, another group of ancient amphibians.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080521/sc_nm/fossil_frog_dc

[SallyMander]

1. Hey, thanks for posting this!!!

That is FASCINATING, and i hadn't seen it yet!

:hi:

:hug:


FROGAMANDER... how sweet is that??? :7

It2ZN81hu0hi85A--


Edit cuz the pic isn't working... meh

[Shakespeare]

2. I love stuff like this!

And I've always been extra-extra-partial to frogs. :hi:

[SallyMander]

3. If you want to see the whole article

I can probably get it through my university... PM me if you want it (and can't get it) and i'll send it along. :D

[DarkTirade]

4. Awesome.

[ghostsofgiants]

5. Kirk Cameron's head asplode?

[DarkTirade]

6. He's still got bananas.

Or should I have said 'he's gone bananas'... :P

[ghostsofgiants]

7. And he's still homies with the guy with the jar of peanut butter I guess.

If they had some bread, Elvis would love them.