Jurassic amphibian with a projectile tongue named as a new species

Tiny and often overlooked bones have allowed researchers to describe a new species from the Late Jurassic of Portugal.

An international team led by PhD Alexandre R. D. Guillaume, NOVA School of Science and Technology & Museu da Lourinhã (ML, Portugal) including collaboration from Dr Marc Jones, curator of fossil reptiles Natural History Museum in London have named the amphibian Nabia civiscientrix.

The material used to describe the new species was found with the help of a Citizen Science project held in both the DinoPark of Lourinhã and ML. The team chose to honour the discovery in the creature’s naming: Nabia, for the pre-Celtic goddess of rivers to represent where the animal lived; and civiscientrix, translating to ‘she who practices citizen science’.

Lead author Alexandre Guillaume explained, “The specific name makes reference to the Citizen Science project Micro Saurus, through which most of the specimens were found. We wanted to acknowledge all its participants and emphasize that Citizen Science projects are a crucial tool with which to raise the awareness of local communities to palaeontological their heritage.”

The better-known bones, such as the jaw were easily identified. It was after persevering to find additional smaller and easily missed remains that the team quickly realised they had an almost complete overview of the anatomy making this find particularly exciting.

Nabia civiscientrix lived 150 million years ago in the Jurassic, a time period where the diversity of dinosaurs is well documented, but little is known about the creatures that crawled at their feet. At less than 5cm long, and with a ballistic-tongue feeding system like that of modern-day chameleons, Nabia civiscientrix is the oldest known amphibian of its type to be found in Portugal and can help us to better understand the ecosystem it came from.

The best-preserved remains found were sent to University College London to be X-rayed and micro-CT-scanned with help from Dr Marc Jones of the Natural History Museum London. These scans provided 3D-models of the bones, used by the researchers to illustrate and describe the animal in detail, allowing a full revision of its anatomy.

Dr Marc Jones comments, “These bones are really tiny with most being less than 1mm wide. Without a microscope they look almost like tea leaves. But the devil really is in the detail as these small bones helped us to understand the amphibians and the ecosystems from which they came. Understanding the past allows us to understand the present and, in an increasingly changing world, that understanding has never been more important to protecting the natural world.

“Until recently, studies of similar species included a very limited set of bones,” he continued. “Some species could be described based only on limited remains. However, based on this new material we could recreate the whole skeleton in colour and host it as a 3D digital model online for anyone to examine without the need of a microscope.”

The paper, New albanerpetontid species (Lissamphibia) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, is published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

Evolution of Life is one of the Natural History Museum’s research themes. Determining the causes and consequences of evolutionary and environmental change is central to understanding life on Earth.

ENDS

Natural History Museum Press Office

Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654 / 07799690151

Email: press@nhm.ac.uk

Image assets are available here.

About The Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is a world-leading scientific research centre and one of the world’s most visited museums. Our mission is to create advocates for the planet – people who act for nature.

Our 400 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency - from reversing biodiversity loss to resourcing the green economy.

We are seeking an additional £150 million to transform our South Kensington building: placing our groundbreaking research at its heart, revitalising four existing galleries, opening two new magnificent galleries and delighting 1 million more visitors a year with the wonders of the natural world.

About NOVA School of Science and Technology

Founded in 1977, NOVA School of Science and Technology (NOVA FCT) is one of Portugal's leading schools of Science, Engineering, and Technology, recognized for excellence in teaching, research, and innovation.

Located on Campus Caparica, one of the largest in the country, NOVA FCT welcomes around 8,500 students, more than 500 teachers and researchers, and 18 research units funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology, with an annual R&D volume of over €20 million.

With strong links to the business community and a dynamic ecosystem of start-ups and innovation, NOVA FCT is committed to interdisciplinary and humanistic education, combining scientific rigor with the development of cross-cutting skills and entrepreneurship. Its cutting-edge research in areas such as sustainability, energy, materials, biotechnology, electronics, artificial intelligence, and health technology is reflected in international recognition: 22 ERC grants, 9 COLABs, 7 Associated Laboratories, and more than 1,300 annual publications in the Top 10 of leading scientific journals.

Integrated into international networks such as CESAER, EUTOPIA, the University Industry Innovation Network, and the Young European Research Universities Network, NOVA FCT is a future-oriented school committed to transforming knowledge into impact and preparing new generations to lead global challenges.