PALEONTOLOGY
Researchers name prehistoric amphibian ancestor discovered in Smithsonian collection after Kermit the Frog
Discovery sheds light on the origin of living frogs and other amphibians and pays homage to the iconic muppet
IMAGE:
THE FOSSIL SKULL OF KERMITOPS.
THE SKULL POSSESSES A MISHMASH OF TRAITS THAT WERE DIFFERENT FROM FEATURES SEEN IN THE SKULLS OF OLDER TETRAPODS, THE ANCIENT ANCESTORS OF AMPHIBIANS AND OTHER LIVING FOUR-LEGGED VERTEBRATES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE REGION OF THE SKULL BEHIND THE ANIMAL’S EYES WAS MUCH SHORTER THAN ITS ELONGATED, CURVED SNOUT. THESE SKULL PROPORTIONS HELPED THE ANIMAL, WHICH LIKELY RESEMBLED A STOUT SALAMANDER, SNAP UP TINY GRUB-LIKE INSECTS.
SCIENTISTS HAVE UNCOVERED THE FOSSILIZED SKULL OF A 270-MILLION-YEAR-OLD ANCIENT AMPHIBIAN ANCESTOR IN THE COLLECTION OF THE Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. IN A PAPER PUBLISHED TODAY, MARCH 21, IN THE Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, THE TEAM OF RESEARCHERS DESCRIBED THE FOSSIL AS A NEW SPECIES OF PROTO-AMPHIBIAN, WHICH THEY NAMED KERMITOPS GRATUS IN HONOR OF THE ICONIC MUPPET, KERMIT THE FROG.
NOTE: USNM PAL 407585, DEPARTMENT OF PALEOBIOLOGY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.
view moreCREDIT: BRITTANY M. HANCE, SMITHSONIAN.
Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. In a paper published today, March 21, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, the team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.
According to Calvin So, a doctoral student at the George Washington University and the lead author on the new paper, naming the new creature after the beloved frog character, who was created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955, is an opportunity to get people excited about the discoveries scientists make using museum collections.
“Using the name Kermit has significant implications for how we can bridge the science that is done by paleontologists in museums to the general public,” So said. “Because this animal is a distant relative of today’s amphibians, and Kermit is a modern-day amphibian icon, it was the perfect name for it.”
The fossilized skull—which measures just over an inch long and possesses large, oval-shaped eye sockets—was originally unearthed by the late paleontologist Nicholas Hotton III, who served as a curator in the museum’s paleobiology department for nearly 40 years. Hotton spent several field seasons excavating fossils from rock outcrops in north central Texas known as the Red Beds. The area’s rust-colored rocks date back to the early Permian period more than 270 million years ago and contain the fossilized remains of ancient reptiles, amphibians and sail-backed synapsids, the precursors to modern mammals.
Hotton and his team collected so many fossils that they were not able to study all of them in detail. This included a small proto-amphibian skull, which the team had unearthed in a rock layer known as the Clear Fork Formation in 1984. The skull was deposited in the Smithsonian’s National Fossil Collection, where it spent decades waiting for a researcher to take a closer look.
In 2021, Arjan Mann, a postdoctoral paleontologist at the museum and a former Peter Buck Fellow, was sifting through Hotton’s trove of Texas fossils when one specimen labeled as an early amphibian caught his eye.
“One fossil immediately jumped out at me—this really well preserved, mostly prepared skull,” said Mann, who serves as So’s mentor and is also a co-author on the new paper.
Mann and So teamed up to determine what kind of prehistoric creature the fossil belonged to. The skull possessed a mishmash of traits that were different from features seen in the skulls of older tetrapods, the ancient ancestors of amphibians and other living four-legged vertebrates. For example, the region of the skull behind the animal’s eyes was much shorter than its elongated, curved snout. These skull proportions helped the animal, which likely resembled a stout salamander, snap up tiny grub-like insects.
The researchers identified the fossil as a temnospondyl, a diverse group of primitive amphibian relatives that lived for over 200 million years from the Carboniferous to the Triassic periods. But because the animal’s skull sported such unique features, the scientists concluded that it belonged in an entirely new genus, which they named Kermitops. The moniker is a play on the creature’s cartoonishly wide-eyed face and is derived from a mashup of the words “Kermit” and the Greek suffix “-ops,” which means face. The researchers also christened the new animal with the species name gratus to represent their gratitude for Hotton and the rest of the team that originally unearthed the fossil.
Kermitops is notable for more than just its namesake puppet persona. The early fossil record of amphibians and their ancestors is largely fragmentary, which makes it difficult to understand how frogs, salamanders and their kin originated. Adding relatives like Kermitops into the fold is essential for fleshing out the early branches of the amphibian family tree.
“Kermitops offers us clues to bridge this huge fossil gap and start to see how frogs and salamanders developed these really specialized traits,” So said.
Mann agrees and hopes that the discovery of a previously unknown amphibian ancestor hiding in plain site will inspire other paleontologists to take a closer look at their own museum’s fossil collections.
“This is an active area of research that a lot more paleontologists need to dive back into,” Mann said. “Paleontology is always more than just dinosaurs, and there are lots of cool evolutionary stories and mysteries still waiting to be answered. We just need to keep looking.”
The new project is the latest example of the Smithsonian’s history of collaboration with George Washington University. This collaboration provides the university’s students with access to the collections and resources of the world’s largest museum and research complex. The new paper also includes a coauthor from the Field Museum of Natural History.
About the National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is connecting people everywhere with Earth’s unfolding story. It is one of the most visited natural history museums in the world. Opened in 1910, the museum is dedicated to maintaining and preserving the world’s most extensive collection of natural history specimens and human artifacts. The museum is open daily, except Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit the museum on its website, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The fossil skull of Kermitops (left) alongside a modern frog skull (Lithobates palustris, right).
Kermitops is notable for more than just its namesake puppet persona. The early fossil record of amphibians and their ancestors is largely fragmentary, which makes it difficult to understand how frogs, salamanders and their kin originated. Adding relatives like Kermitops into the fold is essential for fleshing out the early branches of the amphibian family tree.
Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. In a paper published today, March 21, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, the team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.
Note: USNM PAL 407585, Department of Paleobiology (left), and USNM 230961, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles (right), Smithsonian Institution.
CREDIT
Brittany M. Hance, Smithsonian.
Arjan Mann (right), a Smithsonian postdoctoral paleontologist and former Peter Buck Fellow, and Calvin So (left), a doctoral student at George Washington University, holding the fossil skull of Kermitops in front of the Kermit the Frog puppet display in the “Entertainment Nation” exhibition at the National Museum of American History.
Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. In a paper published today, March 21, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, the team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.
Note: Fossil skull of Kermitops; USNM PAL 407585, Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution.
Note: Kermit the Frog puppet; 1994.0037.01, Gift of Jim Henson Productions. From the collections at National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
CREDIT
James D. Tiller and James Di Loreto, Smithsonian.
Calvin So (left), a doctoral student at George Washington University, and Arjan Mann (right), a Smithsonian postdoctoral paleontologist and former Peter Buck Fellow, with the fossil skull of Kermitops in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History fossil collection.
“Using the name Kermit has significant implications for how we can bridge the science that is done by paleontologists in museums to the general public,” So said. “Because this animal is a distant relative of today’s amphibians, and Kermit is a modern-day amphibian icon, it was the perfect name for it.”
“This is an active area of research that a lot more paleontologists need to dive back into,” Mann said. “Paleontology is always more than just dinosaurs, and there are lots of cool evolutionary stories and mysteries still waiting to be answered. We just need to keep looking.”
Note: USNM PAL 407585, Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution.
CREDIT
Phillip R. Lee
JOURNAL
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Observational study
ARTICLE TITLE
A new amphibamiform from the Early Permian of Texas elucidates patterns of cranial diversity among terrestrial amphibamiforms
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
21-Mar-2024
Rays were more diverse 150 million years ago than previously thought
New fossil ray species discovered in Bavarica, Germany: Aellopobatis bavarica from the Late Jurassic
Peer-Reviewed PublicationIMAGE:
AELLOPOBATIS BAVARICA: THE NEWLY DISCOVERED SPECIES, COMPLETE FOSSILS ARE ONLY KNOWN FROM GERMANY. THIS SPECIES IS ALSO THE LARGEST SPECIES OF ALL AND CAN GROW UP TO 170 CM IN SIZE.
view moreCREDIT: TÜRTSCHER ET AL. (2024, FIGURE 4)
In a new study recently published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology, an international team of scientists led by palaeobiologist Julia Türtscher from the University of Vienna has explored the puzzling world of rays that lived 150 million years ago and discovered a previously hidden diversity – including a new ray species. This study significantly expands the understanding of these ancient cartilaginous fish and provides further insights into a past marine ecosystem.
In her new study, palaeobiologist Julia Türtscher from the Institute of Palaeontology at the University of Vienna examined 52 fossil rays from the Late Jurassic period. These rays are 150 million years old, from a time when Europe was largely covered by the sea, except for a few islands, comparable to today's Caribbean. The Late Jurassic specimens are particularly valuable to scientists because they are among the oldest known fully preserved ray specimens. As only the teeth of fossilised rays are usually preserved, such rare skeletal finds provide exciting insights into the early evolution of this group. Although the exceptionally well-preserved fossils (from Germany, France, and the UK) have been known for some time, they have been largely unexplored. Türtscher's study is the first comprehensive analysis of the variation in body shape in these rays.
The results show a greater diversity of holomorphic (fully preserved) rays in the Late Jurassic than previously thought. "Until now, only three holomorphic ray species have been confirmed from the Late Jurassic, but thanks to this study, a total of five species have now been identified," says Türtscher. Based on their analyses, the researchers were able to confirm a fourth species that had been discussed for some time, as well as documenting and introducing a new, previously undiscovered ray species: Aellopobatis bavarica. This species, which can grow up to 170 cm long, was previously thought to be a large form of the much smaller French Spathobatis bugesiacus, which is 60 cm long. However, by analysing the skeletal structures and body shapes in detail, the scientists were able to show that Aellopobatis bavarica is a separate species.
The new results also suggest that the five species occurred in very restricted areas, but the authors are reluctant to jump to conclusions about possible endemisms: "Further studies on the tooth morphology of the specimens and subsequent comparisons with isolated teeth from other sites may help to reconstruct the palaeogeographic distribution of Late Jurassic rays," explains Türtscher.
Insight into past marine ecosystems
The results of this new study not only contribute to the understanding of the biodiversity and evolution of rays in the Upper Jurassic, but also have direct implications on the identification of fossil ray species that are known from isolated teeth solely. Continual new discoveries about these fascinating animals provide insights into the dynamics of past marine ecosystems and highlight the importance of well-preserved fossils in the reconstruction of our geological past. "We can only draw accurate conclusions about living species if we also understand the past of a group, including its evolution, its adaptations to changing environmental factors over time, and the extinction this group has faced during its evolutionary history. Palaeobiological knowledge enables us to better understand the dynamics behind evolution and extinction of species and thus aids to develop more effective conservation measures for today's endangered species" says second author Patrick L. Jambura from the Institute of Palaeontology at the University of Vienna.
Palaeobiologist Julia Türtscher in the Bavarian State Collection of Palaeontology and Geology in Munich, where several specimens of the new ray species are on display.
CREDIT
Patrick L. Jambura
JOURNAL
Papers in Palaeontology
ARTICLE TITLE
Rostral and Body shape analyses reveal cryptic diversity of Late Jurassic batomorphs (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from Europe.
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
19-Mar-2024
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