Australia successfully decoded fossils that lived about 247 million years ago

Australian scientists have successfully decoded the fossil of an ancient amphibian that lived about 247 million years ago.

The decoding results help answer questions that have existed for nearly three decades since the fossil of this species was discovered.

In the 1990s, Mr. Mihail Mihaildis, a farmer in the village of Umina, New South Wales state, bought a 1.6-ton sandstone slab to repair the wall of his house.

Fossil specimen discovered more than 30 years ago. (Source: Australian Museum).

While cutting the slab, he discovered the shape of a strange creature. Mr. Mihaildis contacted the Australian Museum in Sydney to return the fossil in 1997.

Paleontologist Lachlan Hart, who had the opportunity to observe this strange fossil since he was a child, shared: ' I have regularly seen the fossil on display since 1997 and it is surprising that 25 years later, this fossil became part of my PhD thesis'.

The fossil contained a nearly complete animal skeleton, which is very rare, Mr Hart said.

He described: 'This creature has a head attached to its body. The skin and fatty tissue surrounding its body are all fossilized, all of which makes this a truly rare fossil version.'

After deciphering the fossil data, Mr. Hart and his colleagues estimated that this amphibian was about 1.5m long and had a body similar to a salamander. This species was scientifically named Arenaepeton supinatus .

Scientists say the carnivorous amphibian, which once lived in Sydney's freshwater lakes and streams, belongs to the Temnospondyl family .

This amphibian survived two of Earth's five great extinctions, including a series of volcanic eruptions that wiped out 70-80% of dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

There are now three fossils of the Temnospondyl family successfully identified in Australia.

"The discovery shows that Australia is a great place for animals to evolve and find refuge after mass extinctions," Mr Hart said .

His team believes the discovery could 'rewrite the evolutionary history of amphibians in Australia'.

The fossil of this strange animal will go on full display at the Australian museum later this year.