Uncover the Ancient Toothless Frog of Wyoming’s Cloverly Formation
Imagine a time over 110 million years ago when the arid valleys of Wyoming’s Cloverly Formation were lush wetlands teeming with life. Turtles, crocodiles, and dinosaurs roamed these ancient bayous, alongside a tiny ancestor of modern frogs and toads. This small amphibian stood out for its unique trait – a toothless upper jaw, a rare find in the frog family tree.
Paleontologist Matthew Oreska from the National Museum of Natural History stumbled upon a fragment of this toothless jawbone while sorting through fossils from the Cloverly Formation. It had been labeled as an “unknown frog” until Dave DeMar, a fellow researcher, noticed the absence of teeth – a feature not seen in any other frog species from the same formation.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Oreska, DeMar, along with curator Matthew Carrano and Jim Gardner from the Royal Tyrrell Museum, named this newfound species Ostrombatrachos nodos. The name pays tribute to paleontologist John Harold Ostrom and highlights the toothless nature of this ancient creature.
Ostrombatrachos nodos represents the oldest case of toothlessness in the Northern Hemisphere among frogs and toads. This trait, known as edentulism, has evolved independently multiple times in modern amphibians. The loss of teeth in these ancient creatures may be linked to changes in feeding behavior over time, influenced by the emergence of new prey species like ants and termites during the Early Cretaceous period.
The discovery of Ostrombatrachos nodos sheds light on the evolution of toothlessness in amphibians and raises questions about why this trait has appeared so many times in the frog family tree. The fossil, though fragmentary, offers clues about the creature’s behavior and feeding habits, hinting at a possible diet of termites or small aquatic creatures.
Despite being a rare find among the thousands of Cloverly fossils, Ostrombatrachos nodos provides valuable insights into the ancient wetland ecosystem of the Cretaceous period. Its unique anatomical features and age offer a glimpse into the early stages of tooth loss in frogs and toads, bridging a 90-million-year gap in our understanding of this phenomenon.
This fascinating discovery underscores the importance of ongoing research and exploration in paleontology, unlocking the secrets of ancient life forms and their evolutionary adaptations. As we continue to delve into the past, each fossil unearthed brings us closer to understanding the rich history of life on Earth.