Published : 27 Oct 2026, 01:38 AM
Updated : 27 Oct 2026, 01:38 AM
A heavily armoured amphibian may have lived in the sea around 237 million years ago, offering new clues about how early vertebrates adapted to saltwater, according to a report by Nature.
Researchers found two well-preserved fossils in China’s Guizhou province, an area believed to have been covered by a salty sea during the Late Triassic period.
The newly identified species, provisionally named Gerrothorax Maritimus, measured about 74cm long and had a flattened body covered almost entirely in armour, cited per Nature.
The report said that no modern amphibian species lives exclusively in marine environments. The fossils could therefore represent a significant development in understanding amphibian evolution.
Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, described the finding as “potentially revolutionary”.
“If this Triassic amphibian, Gerrothorax, really was fully marine, then it is a game changer,” Brusatte said.
The researchers also examined strontium isotopes in the fossils. Nature said the levels matched those found in seawater from the period, suggesting the animals grew up drinking seawater rather than relying on fresh water to manage excess salt.
The fossils’ exceptional preservation and their distance from land that existed at the time further support the possibility that the animals lived in a marine environment, the report said.