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Evolutionary ‘game-changer’: weird armoured amphibian lived in ancient seas
Nature • • general
Key Points:
- Fossils of two primitive amphibians, named Gerrothorax maritimus, were discovered in Guizhou province, China, indicating amphibians lived in a salty sea environment 237 million years ago during the Late Triassic period.
- These 74-centimetre-long temnospondyl amphibians had flattened bodies and were almost entirely covered in body armour.
- Modern amphibians, numbering over 8,000 species, do not live exclusively in marine environments, making this discovery potentially revolutionary according to experts.
- Amphibians generally have varying salt tolerance but typically need fresh water to recover from excess salt, highlighting the significance of a fully marine amphibian species.
