In Depth The chunky body and wide mouth of Beelzebufo meant that this prehistoric frog could have gulped down almost any small lizard or mammal that was unfortunate to come across it. Beelzebufo likely would have hunted on dry land and been a ‘sit and wait’ predator. This would involve Beelzebufo relying upon its colouration … Read more
In Depth Parapytanga is a genus of temnospondul amphibian that lived in South America during the late Permian. Although fossil remains are partial and fragmentary, Parapytanga may have grown to a meter or more in length, suggesting that Parapytanga would have been a predator of smaller creatures. Further Reading - On a New Stereospondylomorph Temnospondyl … Read more
In Depth Pholidogaster gets its name from scales that ran along its belly and has an overall morphology that it similar to Greererpeton. The legs are underdeveloped and unsuitable for a terrestrial lifestyle, and the tail is long and flattened for greater efficiency in the water. Pholidogaster also possessed fangs for seizing prey. Further Reading … Read more
In Depth Beiyanerpeton was a small salamander-like amphibian that lived in China during the Jurassic. As such it is expected to have been like a modern day salamander in terms of ecological niche, though of course with the addition of possibly being occasional prey to small carnivorous dinosaurs. Further Reading - Late Jurassic salamandroid from … Read more
In Depth Palaeoplethodon is a genus of salamander that lived in the Dominican Republic during the Miocene. Further Reading - Palaeoplethodon hispaniolae gen. n., sp. n. (Amphibia: Caudata), a fossil salamander from the Caribbean. - Palaeodiversity 8: 21–29. - G. Poinar Jr & D. B. Wake - 2015.
In Depth A very obscure genus, Adelogyrinus was a small amphibean that hunted in and around the waterways and forests of what would become Scotland back in the Carboniferous period. Adelogyrinus may have been similar to Adelospondylus. Further Reading - The Carboniferous Amphibia of Scotland, D. M. S. Watson - 1929.
In Depth Anconastes was a realtively small temnospondyl amphibian, and although the name means ‘mountain dweller’, Anconastes probably didn’t stray too far from the swamps and water systems of Carboniferous North America. Further Reading - A new genus and species of trematopid amphibian from the Late Pennsylvanian of north-central New Mexico, David S Berman, Robert … Read more
In Depth At the time of its naming, Avitabatrachus is the earliest known occurrence of a pipoid frog in South America. Further Reading - The Earliest Known Pipoid Frog from South America: A New Genus from the Middle Cretaceous of Argentina. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) 20 (3): 490–500. - … Read more
In Depth Antarctosuchus is noted for having relatively small teeth, which may indicate a specialisation towards hunting smaller animals. The strongly developed sensory canals in the skull also suggest that Antarctosuchus was hunted primarily in the water. Further Reading - A new capitosauroid temnospondyl from the Middle Triassic upper Fremouw Formation of Antarctica. - Journal … Read more
In Depth Another small amphibian from the Carboniferous period of Scotland, Adelospondylus is only known by a skull and jaws. The lower jaw is noted as being quite deep, but is otherwise not greatly special. Adelospondylus may have been similar to Adelogyrinus. Further Reading - An Adelogyrinid Lepospondyl Amphibian from the Upper Carboniferous, R. L. … Read more