First fully marine amphibian, Gerrothorax maritimus, found in China

Paleontologists from UC Davis and Peking University described Gerrothorax maritimus, a roughly 3-foot amphibian that lived in the ocean 237 million years ago in what is now Guizhou, China. It is the first fully marine amphibian in the fossil record, using bony armor and gills to cope with salt water.

• Fossils date to about 237 million years ago, Late Triassic, Guizhou Province
• Body was roughly 3 feet long with a chunky, disc-shaped armored frame
• Likely a bottom-dwelling suction feeder, similar to modern wobbegong sharks
• Armor limited salt uptake through skin; gills filtered salt from ingested water