#Kermitops gratus

[muppet-facts]

Muppet Fact #1048

According to a study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, scientists have discovered a 270-million-year-old amphibamiform in Texas. The fossil was originally uncovered by the late Nicholas Hotton III. Due to the "cartoonishly wide-eyed face," the researchers have named the newly discovered species after Kermit the Frog, calling the proto-amphibian Kermitops gratus.

According to lead author Calvin So, they used Kermit's name in hopes of bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public:

"Using the name Kermit has significant implications for how we can bridge the science that is done by paleontologists in museums to the general public. Because this animal is a distant relative of today’s amphibians, and Kermit is a modern-day amphibian icon, it was the perfect name for it.”

Sources:

Smithsonian. “Researchers Name Prehistoric Amphibian Ancestor Discovered in Smithsonian Collection After Kermit the Frog.” EurekAlert!, March 21, 2024. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1037759.

So, Calvin, Jason D. Pardo, and Arjan Mann. “A New Amphibamiform From the Early Permian of Texas Elucidates Patterns of Cranial Diversity Among Terrestrial Amphibamiforms.” Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, March 21, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae012.

[toonskribblez]

IT'S 2:40AM BUT I DON'T CARE! I LOVE PALEONTOLOGY AND MUPPETS SO I NEED TO POST THIS NOW!

[alphynix]

Despite being named after the famous Muppet frog, Kermitops gratus here wasn't actually a frog itself. Instead it was a close relative of the common ancestor of all modern amphibians, part of a grouping of amphibian-like animals known as amphibamiform temnospondyls.

Living in what is now Texas, USA, during the mid-Permian, about 275 million years ago, Kermitops would have resembled a chunky salamander. Only its fossil skull is known, so its full body size is uncertain, but based on the proportions of related amphibamiformes it was probably around 15-20cm long (~6-8").

Although its discovery helps to fill in the very sparse fossil record of the early evolution of modern amphibians, it's also complicated matters more than expected. Previously it was thought that the characteristic skull anatomy of modern amphibians evolved in a clear sequence, but Kermitops has a unique mix of features that doesn't fit this idea – suggesting that there was a lot of convergent evolution going on in amphibamiformes at the time.

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[mindblowingscience]

Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. In a paper published today, March 21, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, the team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic muppet, Kermit the Frog. According to Calvin So, a doctoral student at the George Washington University and the lead author on the new paper, naming the new creature after the beloved frog character, who was created by puppeteer Jim Henson in 1955, is an opportunity to get people excited about the discoveries scientists make using museum collections.

Continue Reading.

[scientificinquirer-blog]

Researchers name prehistoric amphibian ancestor discovered in Smithsonian collection after Kermit the Frog.

Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. In a paper published today, March 21, in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, the team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the…

[newsnoshonline]

L'antenato anfibio preistorico prende il nome da Kermit la rana La scoperta del Kermitops Gratus Un antenato degli anfibi moderni è stato recentemente identificato e battezzato Kermitops gratus, in onore di Kermit la rana. Gli scienziati hanno evidenziato somiglianze tra la specie fossile e l’amato Muppet. Gli studiosi hanno osservato che il cranio fossilizzato di Kermitops gratus ha una forma che ricorda l'”aspetto con gli occhi sbarrati” e “un sorriso sbilenco” simile a quello di Kermit, il che ha ispirato il nome. Il ritrovamento e la ricerca Il teschio fossilizzato di Kermitops gratus è stato scoperto vicino al lago Kemp in Texas nel 1984 e è rimasto nelle collezioni dello

[lesbianexorcist]

‘Since the skull had such unique features, the team concluded that it belonged to an entirely new genus they named Kermitops. It is a play on the amphibian’s wide-eyed face and is a mix of the words “Kermit” and the Greek suffix “-ops,” for face. The word Gratus represents the team’s gratitude to Hotton and the rest of the team that originally unearthed the fossil so many years ago.’

I fucking 😭 love this