Triadobatrachus
Triadobatrachus
- Triadobatrachus massinoti
Triadobatrachus ( AltGr. Τρίαδα triada, three ' and βάτραχος batrachos, Frog ) ' is a fossil genus frog -like amphibians and belongs to the taxon Salientia in which the extant anurans ( Anura ) were combined with some primitive fossil relatives. Their representatives were living in the Lower Triassic period about 250 million years ago and are therefore considered the oldest known to science froschlurchähnliche animals. The only fossil specimen of the type species T. massinoti was found in what is now Madagascar, which is not an island, but a part of the supercontinent Pangaea was still in the Triassic.
Features
Triadobatrachus massinoti was about ten inches long, had a more elongated lower body than today's frogs and even as adult animal, a short tail ( stub ). He had many original anatomical features such as 24 vertebrae, six caudal vertebrae - modern frogs have only five to nine vertebrae. The skull was similar to that of today's frogs and consisted of delicate bone clasps that have been separated by large openings. The frontal bone and the parietal bone had already grown together as in recent anurans. Give large ear openings suspect Triadobatrachus had a good hearing. In the lower jaw had this " Urfrosch " no teeth.
The bones of the forearm, and the ulna and calf and shin (tibia) in the lower leg were not yet grown together. The hind legs were extended, but still not as strong as in modern frogs. He swam probably with the hind legs, which further developed into the powerful jump organs of today's frogs and toads.