Beelzebufo ampinga is a giant fossil frog from the Ceratophryidae family. Inhabited in Madagascar , it is known for fragments of the skeleton from rocks aged 65–70 Ma ( Late Cretaceous ) [1] .
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| Beelzebufo ampinga Evans, Jones, & Krause, 2008 |
Content
- 1 Etymology of the name
- 2 Description
- 3 Lifestyle and nutrition
- 4 notes
- 5 Literature
- 6 References
Name Etymology
It is described in 2008. The generic name Beelzebufo is a contamination of lat. Beelzebub (" Beelzebub ") and "bufo" - "toad." The specific name ampinga in Malagasy means “shield” and indicates a strong ossification of the frog’s skull [1] .
Description
Beelzebufo ampinga was arguably the largest frog that ever existed: it was 41 cm long (with legs folded) and weighed 4.5 kg - more than any modern frog (the largest of which, the goliath frog , reaches only 32 cm), and all the other frogs whose remains have ever been found [2] [3] [4] . She had a powerful physique, short legs and a very wide mouth with powerful jaws [3] . The closest modern relatives are slingshot frogs that live in South America [2] . Perhaps Beelzebufo like them had horns on its head [3] .
Lifestyle & Nutrition
It is believed that Beelzebufo ampinga inhabited semi-arid biotopes , was as aggressive as slingshot frogs, also attacked prey from ambushes and hunted small animals - most likely small vertebrates of their own size, such as small mammals , lizards and frogs , and perhaps, given its size, it fed on newborn dinosaurs [3] [5] [6] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Evans SE, Jones MEH, Krause DW A giant frog with South American affinities from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar // Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - 2008 .-- Vol. 105 , no. 8 . - P. 2951-2956 . - DOI : 10.1073 / pnas.0707599105 . - . - PMID 18287076 .
- ↑ 1 2 Scientists have found the devil frog | News | Around the world
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Ancient "devil frog" may have eaten baby dinosaurs | Reuters
- ↑ National Geographic Society. Devil Frogs, Devil Frog Pictures, Devil Frog Facts - National Geographic . National Geographic. Date of appeal May 31, 2016.
- ↑ Brian Handwerk. "Giant" Frog From Hell "Fossil Found in Madagascar." National Geographic News. February 18, 2008
- ↑ The largest frog in history ever fed on dinosaurs , 2017
Literature
- Evans SE, Jones MEH, Krause DW A giant frog with South American affinities from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar // Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - 2008 .-- Vol. 105 , no. 8 . - P. 2951-2956 . - DOI : 10.1073 / pnas.0707599105 . - . - PMID 18287076 .
Links
- Repost drawing Todd S. Marshall // Elements.ru