Vieraella
| Vieraella Temporal range: Early Jurassic
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | Chordata
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| Class: | Amphibia
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| Order: | |
| Family: | Leiopelmatidae
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| Genus: | Vieraella
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| Species: | Vieraella herbsti Reig, 1961
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Vieraella is an extinct genus of frog from the Jurassic of Argentina, and the oldest true frog known.
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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Categories:
- Prehistoric amphibians
- Early Jurassic amphibians
- Jurassic amphibians of South America
- Early Jurassic animals of South America
- Jurassic Argentina
- Fossils of Argentina
- Fossil taxa described in 1963
- Transitional fossils
- Jurassic animal stubs
- Prehistoric amphibian stubs