New Caribbean Salamander Species Discovered in Amber

Posted on August 17, 2015

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown salamander species preserved in amber. The salamander inhabited a region 20 million years ago that is now the Dominican Republic. The salamander had lost a leg possibly in an attempt to escape a predator. It may then have fallen into a gooey resin deposit where it became entombed in amber forever.

The amber fossil is pictured above and a drawing of the salamander is below. This is the very first salamander found preserved in amber. It is also unique because there are no salamanders in the entire Caribbean region today. The salamander species has been named Palaeoplethodon hispaniolae.

The fossil was found by researchers from Oregon State University (OSU). George Poinar, Jr., a professor emeritus in the OSU College of Science, says in a statement, "I was shocked when I first saw it in amber. There are very few salamander fossils of any type, and no one has ever found a salamander preserved in amber. And finding it in Dominican amber was especially unexpected, because today no salamanders, even living ones, have ever been found in that region."

Poinar says the salamander probably lived in small trees or tropical flowering plant as it lacked distinct toes on its legs that would have made it difficult for the salamander to have been a great climber. A research paper on the salamander was published here in the journal Palaeodiversity.


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