Giant prehistoric Frog Hints At Ancient Land Link

New Scientist ^ | 2-18-2008 | Rowan Hooper

[blam]

Giant prehistoric frog hints at ancient land link

22:00 18 February 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Rowan Hooper

An artist's impression of Beelzebufo shows it facing a modern-day Mantidactylus guttulatus, the largest living Malagasy frog (Image: Luci Betti-Nash)

The discovery of a giant frog fossil has opened a rift among researchers over when an ancient land bridge closed. Discovery of the fossil in Madagascar supports the controversial view that South America and Madagascar were linked until 80 million years ago - far more recently than previously thought.

The frog, dubbed Beelzebufo, resembles the family of horned toads that are now unique to South America. But, at more than 40 centimetres in length, it would have been more than twice the size of its nearest living relative.

Team member Susan Evans of University College London says the fossil casts doubt on traditional models, which suggest the land connection between South America and Madagascar was lost 120 million years ago. Instead, says Evans, the discovery lends weight to a paleobiogeographical model suggesting that Madagascar, the Indian subcontinent and South America were all linked well into the Late Cretaceous - the age of the dinosaurs.

Primitive Pac-man Beelzebufo would have weighed around four kilograms with a squat body and a huge head. These features are characteristic of horned toads of the ceratophryine family, also known as "Pac-man frogs" because of their large mouths.

Evans says that the frog would have been the size of a slightly squashed beach-ball. "If it shared the aggressive temperament and 'sit-and-wait' ambush tactics of living horned toads, it would have been a formidable predator," she says, adding that Beelzebufo might even have munched on hatchling or juvenile dinosaurs.

Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

[blam]

South America and Africa continue to move apart at about the same speed that your fingernails grow.

[TommyDale]

How do they know this giant prehistoric creature was a Frenchman?

[SandRat]

Is it Frog-Zilla or is it Fraken-Frog?

[Old Sarge]

"Bud..."

[rface]

.....

[dynachrome]

“Beelzebufo”

LOL

[norwaypinesavage]

There is a slight problem here: South America and Madagascar have this little continent called Africa between them. Assuming South America and Madagascar were once connected by a land bridge, how did Africa get in between? I think someone is pushing our legs as Chrissie might say.

[Strategerist]

Just another poorly written article. South America, Africa, Madagascar, and India were all once connected in Gondwanaland. They all split apart, I’ve forgotten the sequence, but I believe Africa-Madagascar was last.

[blam]

Hmmm. You’re correct. Madagascar is on the other side of Africa from SA.

[Politicalmom]

Ping!!

[Hot Tabasco]

South America and Madagascar were linked until 80 million years ago

The word "Million" is thrown about so commonly now that nobody actually considers the time span anymore. "80 million years..." ........damn, that's one heck of a long time ago.

[pcottraux]

[CaptRon]

I dunno, I wish my hair would grow as fast as my nails.

[SunkenCiv]

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[ForGod'sSake]

Seen THIS?

Or a shorter VERSION?

[Old Professer]

Holy batrachiosaurus bombshell!

[colorado tanker]

I’m glad I’ll never meet up with one of those nasty buggers.

[SunkenCiv]

I’m hoppy about it too.

[colorado tanker]

:-))