An artists impression of Arenaerpeton supinatus, the ancestor these dayss Chinese Giant Salamander. Credit: Jose Vitor Silva
Arenaerpeton supinatus was discovered in rocks cut from a neighboring quarry that were meant for the building of a garden wall.
A 240-million-year-old fossil of an amphibian was discovered in a maintaining wall in the 1990s. This considerable find has now been officially named and explained by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) and the Australian Museum.
The fossil was originally discovered by a retired chicken farmer in rocks from a regional quarry. These rocks were planned for use in building a garden maintaining wall, and the fossil was subsequently contributed to the Australian Museum in Sydney.
Description of Arenaerpeton supinatus
Palaeontologist Lachlan Hart, who holds joint functions with UNSW Science and the Australian Museum, states the fossil– named Arenaerpeton supinatus, meaning supine sand climber– reveals nearly the whole skeleton, and extremely, the outlines of its skin.
Arenaerpeton looks a lot like the contemporary Chinese Giant Salamander. Credit: UNSW Sydney/Richard Freeman
” This fossil is a special example of a group of extinct animals referred to as temnospondyls, which lived before and throughout the time of the dinosaurs,” states Mr. Hart, a PhD candidate in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES) at UNSW.
” We do not frequently discover skeletons with the head and body still attached, and the soft tissue preservation is an even rarer incident.”
Environment and Appearance
Arenaerpeton populated freshwater rivers in what is now called the Sydney Basin during the Triassic period, 240 million years back. Mr. Hart states it most likely hunted other ancient fish such as Cleithrolepis, however apart from that, there is not much proof that informs us about the other animals that Arenaerpeton shared the land and waters with.
Lachlan Hart says the fossil is a special example of a group of extinct animals called temnospondyls, which lived before and during the time of the dinosaurs. Credit: UNSW Sydney/Richard Freeman
” Superficially, Arenaerpeton looks a lot like the contemporary Chinese Giant Salamander, especially in the shape of its head,” Mr. Hart says.
” However, from the size of the ribs and the soft tissue summary preserved on the fossil we can see that it was significantly more heavyset than its living descendants. It likewise had some quite gnarly teeth, consisting of a pair of fang-like tusks on the roofing of its mouth.”
Importance of the Discovery
Mr. Hart states what is amazing about the discovery is that Arenaerpeton is large– estimated to be about 1.2 m from head to tail– when most other carefully associated animals that lived at the same time were little.
” The last of the temnospondyls were in Australia 120 million years after Arenaerpeton, and some grew to huge sizes. The fossil record of temnospondyls spans throughout 2 mass termination occasions, so maybe this development of increased size assisted in their durability.”
Dr. Matthew McCurry, Senior Lecturer in UNSWs School of BEES and Curator of Palaeontology at the Australian Museum states the fossil is a substantial find in Australian paleo history.
” This is one of the most essential fossils discovered in New South Wales in the past 30 years, so it is interesting to officially explain it,” says Dr. McCurry, who is likewise a co-author on the study. “It represents a crucial part of Australias fossil heritage.”
The study was just recently published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Later this year, the fossil will be on display screen at the Australian Museum, Sydney.
Recommendation: “A brand-new chigutisaurid (Brachyopoidea, Temnospondyli) with soft tissue preservation from the Triassic Sydney Basin, New South Wales, Australia” by Lachlan J. Hart, Bryan M. Gee, Patrick M. Smith and Matthew R. McCurry, 3 August 2023, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.DOI: 10.1080/ 02724634.2023.2232829.