Sanyanlichan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sanyanlichan is the name given to the earliest known modern frog, found in the fossil beds of Sihetun, in the western part of Liaoning province, China. It has most characteristic frog traits, being the earliest known example of these, but also has nine presacral vertebrae, one more than modern frogs, showing it was still a transitional stage. It appears to be a direct ancestor or cousin of the Discoglossidae family of frogs, which includes the famous fire bellied toad, sold in American pet stores in both its Asian and European breeds.
Though sanyanlichan is the earliest known example of a fully modern frog, triadobatrachus, millions of years earlier in the Triassic, is a considerably earlier "frog", but still bears a great many salamander traits, not being fully a modern frog.
[edit] External links
- "Chinese frog discovery sheds light on amphibians' evolution" from ABC News Online
- "China Yields East Asia's Earliest Fossilized Frog" from People's Daily Online, Chinese news source
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