A newly investigated 290 million year old fossil may be an evolutionary missing link in the amphibian family tree. The fossil was collected in Texas by a palaeontologist with the Smithsonian Institution in the mid-1990s. The fossil eventually ended up at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., where it was re-discovered and investigated in 2004.

The new analysis of the fossil has been carried out by Jason Anderson, a comparative biologist at the University of Calgary, Canada. According to Anderson, the fossil has an overall amphibian look but with interesting archaic features. The animal resembles a salamander, but the tail is stubby and the ears are similar to the ears of a frog.

“So it’s kind of a frogamander, if you will,” Anderson sais to National Geographic News.

The fossilized species has been given the name Gerobatrachus hottoni. Until recently, scientists believed that frogs, salamanders and the wormlike caecilians all hailed from a common ancestor. Gerobatrachus hottoni suggests that frogs and salamanders are much more closely related to each other than to the caecilians.

Read more in Anne Casselman’s article for National Geographic News.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/05/080521-frog-fossil.html

The study of the fossil appears in this week’s (May 21^st 2008) issue of the journal Nature.

Alligator Snapping Turtles carry a reputation of fear, weighing in at over 200 lbs (90 kg) and packing a bite that earned the word Alligator in its name. Perhaps, the last place you would expect to find such a fearsome reptile, would be in the bustling city of New York. That is unless, like 45lb fluffy, you were housed there to protect the illegal drugs of your owner. Fluffy was rescued during a Long Island drug raid. Since his rescue, he has been relocated to a New England Aquarium as an attraction for their new Killer Instincts exhibit.

So, while Fluffy’s owner may be facing some hard time in the big house, Fluffy will be living a care free life in a turtle appropriate and drug-free environment. Congratulations Fluffy.

For more information on Alligator Snapping Turtles and a picture of Fluffy visit: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1669

picture provided by Creative Commons at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/.

 (disclaimer: Creative Commons has no affiliation to the AC or the views or thoughts published in this article.)

During recent years, a lot of fascinating discoveries have occurred in Vietnam and now scientists from the Cleveland Zoo claim to have discovered a Swinhoe’s giant turtle living in a lake in the northern parts of the country. According to an article from the BBC, the team from Cleveland spent three years looking for the Swinhoe’s giant turtle. The amazing thing about this discovery is that only three specimens of this species were believed to exist and they all lived in zoos. Hopefully, the Swinhoe’s giant turtle found in Vietnam is not the only specimen alive and kicking in the remote areas of South-East Asia.

You can read the full article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7352719.stm

Swinhoe’s giant turtle (Rafetus swinhoei ), also known as Swinhoe’s Soft-shell turtle, can exceed 100 cm (3.3 feet) in length a weigh up to 120-140 kg (265-309 pounds). Its native habitat is found in southern China and northern Vietnam, where its carapace and bones are important ingredients in traditional remedies. The turtle has also been hunted for local consumption. During the 20^th century, mining of sand and alterations of rivers destroyed a lot of its nesting areas. According to local fishermen, Swinhoe’s giant turtle release their eggs during the night or in the early morning hours. If you want to learn more about Swinhoe’s giant turtle, you can visit the Asian Turtle Conservation Network: http://asianturtlenetwork.org./field_guide/Rafetus_swinhoei.htm.