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Gerobatrachus
2023-07-18 Snargl 0 minute 0 second
Where does the Gerobatrachus live?
Gerobatrachus is an extinct genus of amphibian that lived in the Early Permian, approximately 290 million years ago, in the area that is now Baylor County, Texas.
It was discovered in 1995 by Peter Kroehler, a scientific assistant for vertebrate paleontology at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C..
The only known specimen of Gerobatrachus is a nearly complete skeleton that is about 11 centimeters long.
Gerobatrachus has been called a "frogamander" by the press because it possesses a mixture of characteristics from both frogs and salamanders, such as a large frog-like head and a salamander-like tail.
It also has pedicellate teeth, an optic notch, and a widened parasphenoid basal plate, which are features shared with modern amphibians.
Gerobatrachus is considered to be the closest relative of Batrachia, the group that includes modern frogs and salamanders, or the closest relative of Lissamphibia, the group that includes all modern amphibians.
Its discovery has shed light on the origin and evolution of amphibians and their relationship with other temnospondyls, a diverse group of extinct amphibian-like animals.
What does the Gerobatrachus look like?
Gerobatrachus is an extinct genus of amphibian that lived about 290 million years ago in what is now Texas.
It is sometimes called a "frogamander" because it has features of both frogs and salamanders.
It has a large, round head with a wide mouth and small teeth, a short body with well-developed limbs, and a small tail.
It also has an eardrum-like structure on the back of its skull, which is common in frogs but not in salamanders.
Gerobatrachus is considered to be the closest relative of Batrachia, the group that includes modern frogs and salamanders.
It may represent an intermediate stage in the evolution of these two groups from their ancient ancestors.
Some additional facts are:
It is sometimes called a "frogamander" because it has features of both frogs and salamanders.
It has a large, round head with a wide mouth and small teeth, a short body with well-developed limbs, and a small tail.
It also has an eardrum-like structure on the back of its skull, which is common in frogs but not in salamanders.
Gerobatrachus is considered to be the closest relative of Batrachia, the group that includes modern frogs and salamanders.
It may represent an intermediate stage in the evolution of these two groups from their ancient ancestors.
Some additional facts are:
Gerobatrachus was about 11 centimeters long and probably lived in moist environments near water.
It may have fed on insects and other small animals.Gerobatrachus was discovered in 1995 and described in 2008 by a team of researchers led by Jason Anderson.
It was named after Nicholas Hotton III, a paleontologist who studied early amphibians.Gerobatrachus is one of the few fossils that show a clear link between the Permian temnospondyls and the Mesozoic and modern amphibians.
It helps to shed light on the origin and diversification of this diverse and successful group of vertebrates.
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The images you see on this page have been generated by AI - they are not real images of Gerobatrachus, but they are great nonetheless! :)