Discovery on Svalbard's Bear Island Rewrites Prehistoric Limits

Paleontologists have identified the remains of a previously unknown species of Triassic amphibian, Arctobatrachus urdensis, on the Svalbard archipelago. The discovery reveals that this predator, which lived approximately 250 million years ago, reached nearly three meters in length, redefining known size limits for plagiosaurids.

The findings were published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology. Researchers determined that Arctobatrachus urdensis is the largest representative of the plagiosaurid group—aquatic predators that hunted along the bottoms of lakes and rivers. Morphologically, the species featured a wide, flattened body with a back protected by bony plates.

Chronology of Discovery

The fossils were first spotted in the summer of 1948 by a biological expedition from the Universities of Cambridge and Leicester. The remains were located on Bear Island at an altitude of 430 meters above sea level, where wind and water erosion had exposed fragments of the skeleton. Due to a lack of appropriate equipment and concerns that the harsh Arctic climate would destroy the site, the team collected only soil samples.

The remains were rediscovered in August 1984 by Norwegian geologists working in the same area. By this time, exposure to the elements had caused deep cracks and the loss of several fragments. Following a week of excavations, the sample was moved to a museum for stabilization and subsequent analysis.

Archaeologist Pavel Sinitsyn noted that while the skeleton suffered significant damage, modern visualization methods allow researchers to extract critical information regarding the morphology of ancient amphibians.

Questions about Arctobatrachus urdensis

Is this animal an ancestor of modern frogs?

No. Plagiosaurids are a distinct group of ancient amphibians and do not have a direct relationship with modern tailless amphibians.

How dangerous was this predator?

Given its size of nearly three meters and aquatic nature, the creature occupied the position of an apex predator in its ecosystem, hunting fish and small vertebrates.

Source: This article was adapted from an original Russian-language publication by Pravda.Ru.