240-million-year-old giant amphibian fossil receives new recognition


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The peer-reviewed article, published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, detailed the investigations surrounding the fossil. The remains of the giant lizard-like creature had originally been found by a chicken farmer in a quarry and later donated to the Australian Museum in Sydney. The Arenaerpeton supinatusArenaerpeton supinatus translates to ‘supine sand creeper.’ It grew to be up to 1.2 meters (4 feet) long from head to tail. Lachlan Hart, a paleontologist working for the Australian Museum said in a press release that the fossil is an incredible discovery because the entire skeleton was found and the outlines of the skin remained. “Superficially, Arenaerpeton looks a lot like the modern Chinese Giant Salamander, especially in the shape of its head,” Hart said.