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Scientists in Argentina have discovered excellently preserved fossil remains of the oldest-known tadpole, the larval stage of a large frog species that lived alongside dinosaurs about 161 million ...
In 2024, a tadpole specimen of N. degiustoi (MPM-PV 23540) was reported from the La Matilde Formation of Argentina, representing the oldest known tadpole and the first stem-anuran larva in the fossil record. Tadpoles of this species reached lengths of 15.9 centimetres (6.3 in), among the largest recorded in frogs living or extinct. [5]
Tadpoles of N. degiustoi constitute the oldest tadpoles found as of 2024, dating back to 168–161 million years ago. These tadpoles also showed adaptations for filter-feeding, implying residence in temporary pools by filter-feeding larvae was already commonplace. [37] The evolution of modern Anura likely was complete by the Jurassic period.
A tadpole or polliwog (also spelled pollywog) is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in adult amphibians such as a lateral line, gills and swimming tails.
The discovery of a newly identified species — the oldest saber-toothed animal found and an ancient cousin to mammals — fills a longstanding gap in the fossil record.
The oldest near-complete tetrapod fossils, Acanthostega and Ichthyostega, date from the second half of the Fammennian. [ 56 ] [ 57 ] Although both were essentially four-footed fish, Ichthyostega is the earliest known tetrapod that may have had the ability to pull itself onto land and drag itself forward with its forelimbs.
Human DNA recovered from remains found in Europe is revealing our species’ shared history with Neanderthals. The trove is the oldest Homo sapiens DNA ever documented, scientists say.
The evolution of tetrapods began about 400 million years ago in the Devonian Period with the earliest tetrapods evolved from lobe-finned fishes. [1] Tetrapods (under the apomorphy-based definition used on this page) are categorized as animals in the biological superclass Tetrapoda, which includes all living and extinct amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.