Ancient Amphibian Unearthed: Kermitops Sheds Light on Evolutionary Mysteries

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Discoveries by paleontologists at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History have unveiled a new prehistoric species. This 270 million-year-old amphibian, with its wide eyes and cartoonish grin, pays homage to a famous froggy celebrity with its name.

Kermit the Frog meets Kermitops gratus, the most recent ancient amphibian discovered. Researchers found the tiny fossilized skull in the Smithsonian fossil collection after 40 years of being unstudied. The discovery was detailed in a paper published Thursday in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Kermitops predates the dinosaurs and is believed to have lived in the lower Clear Fork Formation of Texas during the Early Permian Epoch, around 298.9 million to 272.3 million years ago. The skull of this ancient amphibian is just over an inch (about 2.5 centimeters) long, with large oval eye sockets and a slightly crushed state that gives it a lopsided smile resembling the Muppet icon.

Researchers think that the tiny opening at the end of the critter's snout, known as the internarial fontanelle, contained a mucus gland that helped in capturing insects. Additionally, the palpebral ossicles were small boney shingles found within the eyelid, serving to protect the eye.

According to a paper by Brittany M. Hance and published by Smithsonian and CNN, the recent finding of a new species of amphibian may offer insights into the evolution of frogs and salamanders.

Study coauthor Arjan Mann, a postdoctoral paleontologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, pointed out that Kermitops reveals the complexity of the origins of modern amphibians.

The fossil of Kermitops, discovered in 1984 by the late Nicholas Hotton IIII in Texas, highlights the importance of continued study in shaping our understanding of evolutionary hypotheses. The Red Beds in Texas, where the fossil was found, is known for its abundance of Permian-age remains.

Kermitops is not a frog.

The fossil was discovered in 1984 by Nicholas Hotton III, a paleontologist from a museum. He found it in the Red Beds in Texas, an area famous for its Permian-age fossils.

Researchers discovered a significant discovery at the site, which included the remains of ancient reptiles, amphibians, and synapsids, the ancestors of mammals. Among the numerous finds was a specimen named Kermitops, which had not been studied by paleontologists until 2021. During this time, Mann, a postdoctoral fellow, was going through the Texas collection and noticed the skull of Kermitops, bringing attention to this previously overlooked specimen.

Authors of the new paper, Calvin So (left) and Arjan Mann (right), named the prehistoric amphibian after Kermit the Frog. The Muppet icon is photographed in the Entertainment Nation exhibition at Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

The new paper's authors, Calvin So and Arjan Mann, decided to name the ancient amphibian after Kermit the Frog. This famous Muppet character can be seen in the Entertainment Nation exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

The photograph of the Muppet icon was taken by James D. Tiller and James D. Loreto, and is courtesy of the National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian.

Calvin So, a doctoral student at George Washington University, began studying a well-prepared skull in early 2023. According to Mann, the skull had unique features that set it apart from any others he had seen in the group.

So explained that Kermitops, a prehistoric amphibian, is not considered a frog due to differences in traits and anatomy compared to modern frogs. However, researchers identified the specimen as belonging to the group temnospondyls, which are thought to be the common ancestor of all lissamphibians including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians.

The ancient amphibian has some similarities with its modern-day relatives. For example, it has an eardrum located at the back of the skull, a small opening between the nostrils that produces sticky mucus to help frogs catch prey, and bicuspid, pedicellate teeth that are unique to amphibians and are found in most modern species.

DTGN0M Megalosaurus jaw

DTGN0M Megalosaurus jaw

Natural History Museum/Alamy Stock Photo

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The ancient amphibian has unique features that can help researchers understand the evolution of modern amphibians. For example, the presence of teeth in this prehistoric species gives insight into how amphibians developed their distinctive characteristics. In a study from June 2021, researchers discovered that certain species of frogs have lost and regained teeth multiple times over the course of their evolution.

David Blackburn, a coauthor of a 2021 study and a curator of amphibians and reptiles at the Florida Museum of Natural History at the University of Florida, mentioned in an email that this work is important as it introduces another early distant relative of our modern amphibians.

Blackburn also noted that in the past 20 to 30 years, numerous new species of these distant relatives have been identified and described. Each new discovery has the potential to change our understanding of the evolutionary tree.

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Nano Calvo/VWPCS/AP

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However, Kermitops had several unique features that set it apart from its modern relatives. The creature's strong skull had extra bones and elements that may have been lost through evolution. Its long snout, along with a short section of the skull behind the eyes, was a distinctive trait of the species, likely helping it in catching insects.

The features of the fossil, which display a combination of modern and prehistoric characteristics, support the idea that the evolution of amphibians was a complex process, according to Marc Jones, a curator of fossil reptiles at the Natural History Museum London.

Jones mentioned in an email that the fossil contributes to the diversity of Early Permian animals that are believed to be the ancestors of modern amphibians. He also emphasized the importance of finding more fossils from the Late Permian period. Additionally, Jones expressed his admiration for the name of the amphibian, noting that it is not a frog, much like Kermit, who also has five fingers and a lizard frill.

The preservation of small fossils

According to a news release from the Smithsonian Institution, the early fossil record for lissamphibians is considered to be fragmentary. This is mainly because of the creatures' small size and delicate bone composition, making it challenging to preserve and find the fossils later on.

"What we observe today is just a fraction of the creatures that existed throughout Earth's history," So explained. "Another factor that greatly enhances the preservation of fossils is their size. Larger fossils tend to be more resilient against erosional forces like wind and water erosion."

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Fossil named 'Attenborough’s strange bird' was the first in its kind without teeth

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While prehistoric species are often believed to be big, Kermitops could help explain the evolution of amphibians and how some modern creatures became small in size. The skull of Kermitops is comparable in size to that of another famous Early Permian amphibian, Gerobatrachus, whose head was around an inch long (2.5 centimeters). However, many present-day frogs have bodies shorter than this length, according to Blackburn.

Blackburn mentioned that there may have been very small vertebrates in the past, akin to tiny species existing today. However, he pointed out that locating these tiny fossils in the fossil record is quite challenging.

They expressed hope that the name of the species would bring awareness to the significant findings that paleontologists uncover by examining museum collections of ancient fossils, even those that are not as grand as dinosaurs.

"We decided on the name Kermitops to highlight this special fossil. It may be small, but it's definitely worth noticing. If you were to place it next to a Tyrannosaurus in the gallery, most people would overlook it," So explained.

Editor's P/S:

The discovery of Kermitops, a 270-million-year-old amphibian, has shed light on the complex evolution of modern amphibians. The fossilized skull, named after the famous Muppet character, exhibits a unique combination of ancient and modern traits, providing valuable insights into the evolutionary history of frogs, salamanders, and caecilians. By studying these ancient specimens, paleontologists can piece together the intricate puzzle of how these creatures evolved and adapted over millions of years.

Despite its small size, Kermitops has made a significant contribution to our understanding of amphibian evolution. Its distinctive features, such as its strong skull and long snout, suggest that the evolution of amphibians involved a gradual loss of certain traits and the development of new adaptations. The discovery of Kermitops emphasizes the importance of continued research on museum collections, as even seemingly insignificant fossils can hold valuable clues to the past. By studying these ancient specimens, we can gain a deeper understanding of the diversity and complexity of life on Earth.