In their most recent discovery, scientists have unearthed a fossilised frog that coexisted with dinosaurs approximately 100 million years ago. What adds to the intrigue is the finding that the frog’s abdomen contains eggs, suggesting it was in the midst of mating when it perished.
This frog represents the oldest known example of its kind uncovered by scientists. Researchers hypothesise that the frog likely met its demise during the mating process, with the female potentially being drowned by a male in the act of grasping her.
Unlike mammals, frogs do not undergo pregnancy. Instead, female frogs develop a batch of eggs ready for laying in what is termed a “gravid” state. Subsequently, the eggs are deposited and fertilised by a male counterpart.
Published in the journal Royal Society B: Biological Sciences on February 6, the study disclosed that the gravid frog, belonging to the species Gansubatrachus qilianensis, was unearthed from a fossil bed located in northwest China, dating back to the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 million years ago).
Fossilised frogs from this era are exceedingly rare, and those preserving soft tissues are even scarcer. The researchers emphasised that this specimen is particularly extraordinary, representing the earliest documented record of a gravid frog.
Scientists compared the fossilised gravid frog with previously discovered specimens. Utilising computed tomography (CT) scans of the fossils, they constructed a high-resolution model of its skeleton and analysed the composition of its eggs using X-ray technology.
Their analysis revealed that the frog was still anatomically immature, indicating that she was capable of reproductive activity before reaching full physical maturity. While this phenomenon is commonplace in numerous modern animals, there was previously no direct fossil evidence supporting this behaviour in ancient frogs and toads.
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