Shockingly, a fossil dating back 240 million years has finally been formally identified after being hidden in a retaining wall for decades.
Researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Australian Museum have now named and described the ancient amphibian, drawing new attention to an unusual discovery that began in the 1990s.
A forgotten fossil hidden in a garden wall has emerged as one of Australia’s most remarkable prehistoric discoveries.
Researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Australian Museum have now named and described the ancient amphibian, drawing new attention to an unusual discovery that began in the 1990s.
About sandcreeper ‘Arenaerpeton Supinatus’
The ancient river predator known as Arenaerpeton Supinatus was about 4 feet long and looked somewhat like a giant salamander, but was bulkier and armed with fearsome fang-like teeth.
Arenaerpeton lived in freshwater environments in what is now the Sydney Basin during the Triassic, about 240 million years ago.
One of the most striking aspects of Arenaerpeton is its size.
Researchers estimate that its length from head to tail was about 1.2 meters, which is unusually large compared to many of its close relatives from the same period.
The research has been published in the Journal of Paleontology of vertebrates.
Furthermore, palaeontologist Lachlan Hart, from both UNSW Science and the Australian Museum, explains that the fossil, called Arenaerpeton supinatusmeans ‘lying sand crawler’, and is exceptionally well preserved, as it includes almost the entire skeleton and even faint outlines of the animal’s skin.
