Fossil “Frog From Hell” Gets a New Look

The fossil frog Beelzebufo was all mouth. Or as close to it as an amphibian can get while still making space for legs and all those other essential parts. That’s the image put forward in a new PLoS One study by University College London paleontologist Susan Evans and colleagues that has substantially revised the appearance and size of the famous fossil frog.

Evans and coauthors named Beelzebufo in 2008. Initially estimated to be about sixteen inches long and weigh about ten pounds, Beelzebufo was a contender for the largest frog of all time. But the frog’s potential diet is what really drew headlines. Pieced together from fossil fragments found in Madagascar’s 65-70 million year old rock, Beelzebufo had lived among some

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