Description

Miocene
Shanwang Formation
Shangdong Province, China
39mm tadpole on 99mm slab from one of the very few places in the world where fossils of tadpoles have ever been found.

Amphibian.

Having a cartilaginous skeleton, you might expect that fossil tadpoles would not be found especially since that stage of an amphibian’s life might be only several weeks to several months long.  However, rare body fossils are known from as far back as the Early Cretaceous.

This tadpole represents an extinct species of frog.