Science

A new study describes Gerrothorax maritimus, an armored amphibian relative that lived about 237 million years ago in what is now China. The researchers base the species on two exceptionally preserved fossils found in marine rocks. Strontium isotope measurements in the bones also match ancient seawater, supporting the idea the animals grew up in a marine setting. Published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, the study suggests body armor may have helped this lineage overcome a salt-tolerance barrier. This evidence concerns one ancient lineage, not modern amphibians living in oceans.