Vieraella
Vieraella is an extinct genus of frog from the Jurassic Roca Blanca Formation of Argentina, and the oldest true frog known.
| Vieraella Temporal range: Early Jurassic | |
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| Genus: | Vieraella |
| Species: | Vieraella herbsti Reig, 1961 |
Description
Despite living around 200 million years ago, Vieraella was anatomically very similar to modern frogs. For example, its hind legs were adapted for jumping, and the skull already possessed the lattice-like form found in modern species. It was, however, an unusually small frog, measuring only 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in length. Although older frog-like creatures are known, such as Triadobatrachus, these possessed many primitive characteristics, and cannot be said to be "true" frogs.[1]
References
- Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 56. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
Further reading
- Estes, R., and O. A. Reig. 1973. The early fossil record of frogs: a review of the evidence. pp. 11–63 In J. L. Vial (Ed.), Evolutionary Biology of the Anurans: Contemporary Research on Major Problems. University of Missouri Press, Columbia.
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