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Student Scientists Name 309-Million-Year-Old Amphibian After Moms
The fossil preserves scales, belly ribs and eye impressions, and researchers say it helps show how modern amphibian traits evolved.
- Student researchers Allison Sefcovic and Payton Kohlberg described a new 309-million-year-old amphibian species, naming it Jeanerpeton mazonensis to honor their mothers, both named Jean, with findings published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
- Scientists previously classified the specimen as Amphibamus grandiceps, a "waste bin taxon" for poorly studied fossils, but postdoctoral researcher Cam So noted researchers officially separated Jeanerpeton after finding it anatomically distinct.
- Sefcovic noted that the fossil preserves rare soft tissues, including eye impressions and tiny "belly ribs" called gastralia, revealing details normally lost in ancient specimens.
- Researchers identified broad toe pads on the specimen, similar to living amphibians, indicating that classic traits seen in today's frogs and salamanders originated over 300 million years ago.
- Working within the Field Museum lab group led by Arjan Mann, assistant curator, Sefcovic and Kohlberg conducted this research as 2025 Women in Science interns, chronicling biodiversity near Mazon Creek.
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Student scientists name 309-million-year-old amphibian after moms
The findings point to a 309-million-year-old origin of classic traits we see in today's frogs and salamanders.
·Chariton, United States
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The finding makes it possible to state that in the area where the fossil was found there was more variety of these animals than was initially believed.
·Madrid, Spain
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Total News Sources39
Leaning Left6Leaning Right10Center22Last UpdatedBias Distribution58% Center
Bias Distribution
- 58% of the sources are Center
58% Center
L 16%
C 58%
R 26%
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