A new model has arrived in 3D Dinopedia: Triadobatrachus, one of the earliest known relatives on the frog lineage from the Early Triassic. This tiny animal, only about 10 cm long, offers a rare look at what "proto-frogs" were like at the dawn of frog evolution.

Triadobatrachus was built very differently from modern frogs. It still had a short tail, and its spine included at least 26 vertebrae (modern frogs typically have 4-9). That anatomy suggests it was not yet specialized for powerful jumping, and likely moved in a more transitional way, mixing short hops with swimming. Its skull, however, already looked surprisingly frog-like: broad, with large eye sockets and a distinctive lattice of thin bones.

The fossil comes from Early Triassic deposits in what is now Madagascar, and the presence of nearby terrestrial plant remains supports the idea that it may have spent time both in water and on land, staying close to shorelines. Like many amphibians, it was probably a predator of small invertebrates - and for scientists, it remains a key "missing-step" snapshot on the road from primitive amphibians to true frogs.