
This ancient tadpole fossil is the oldest ever discovered
CTV
Scientists in Argentina have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a giant tadpole that wriggled around over 160 million years ago.
Scientists have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a giant tadpole that wriggled around over 160 million years ago.
The new fossil, found in Argentina, surpasses the previous ancient record holder by about 20 million years.
Imprinted in a slab of sandstone are parts of the tadpole's skull and backbone, along with impressions of its eyes and nerves.
“It's not only the oldest tadpole known, but also the most exquisitely preserved,” said study author Mariana Chuliver, a biologist at Buenos Aires’ Maimonides University.
Researchers know frogs were hopping around as far back as 217 million years ago. But exactly how and when they evolved to begin as tadpoles remains unclear.
This new discovery adds some clarity to that timeline. At about a half foot (16 centimetres) long, the tadpole is a younger version of an extinct giant frog.

While Canada is well known for its accomplishments in space — including building the robotic arms used on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station — the country still has no ability to launch its own satellites. This week, Ottawa committed nearly a quarter‑billion dollars towards changing that.

It’s an enduring stereotype that Canadians are unfailingly nice, quick to apologize even when they have done nothing wrong. But an online urban legend claims the opposite of Canada’s soldiers, painting a picture of troops so brazen in their brutality that international laws were rewritten to rein them in.











