Enigmatic amphibians in mid-Cretaceous amber were chameleon-like ballistic feeders

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Enigmatic amphibians in mid-Cretaceous amber were chameleon-like ballistic feeders Via Science: Current Issue Albanerpetontids are tiny, enigmatic fossil amphibians with a distinctive suite of characteristics, including scales and specialized jaw and neck joints. Here we describe a new genus and species of albanerpetontid, represented by fully articulated and three-dimensional specimens preserved in amber. These specimens preserve skeletal and soft tissues, including an elongated median hyoid element, the tip of which remains embedded in a distal tongue pad. This arrangement is very similar to the long, rapidly projecting tongue of chameleons. Our results thus suggest that albanerpetontids were sit-and-wait ballistic tongue feeders, extending the record of this specialized feeding mode by around 100 million years. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.