Scientists Identify New Amphibian Species From Spanish Fossils
Researchers named the 66-million-year-old albanerpetontid Synorerpeton ribagorzana after fossils found in Areny, Huesca, Spain.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Geography
Scientists identified a new albanerpetontid amphibian species, Synorerpeton ribagorzana, from fossil bones found in Areny, Huesca, in Spain's Aragon region. The research was published in the journal Cretaceous Research.
Why it matters
The findings add to the fossil record of albanerpetontids, small amphibians that lived in Europe near the end of the Cretaceous, and point to two distinct lineages in the region during that period.
The new species is based on isolated skull bones, vertebrae and other skeletal elements, with albanerpetontids estimated at under five centimetres long. The source does not detail how the two lineages relate to one another.
The players
NOVA University Lisbon
A public research university in Lisbon, Portugal, whose researchers took part in the analysis of the fossils.
The details
The fossils, collected in 1997 in the Ribagorça area, were analyzed by researchers from Portuguese and Spanish institutions. The team also found that albanerpetontids had a tongue they rapidly projected to capture food.
Timeline
The fossils date to 66 million years ago, in the late Cretaceous.
More than 80 bones were discovered in the 1990s.
Bones were collected in 1997 in the Ribagorça area.
Discovery of the new species was publicized in a university statement in November 2026.
Big Picture
The discovery extends the albanerpetontid fossil record in Europe, a lineage of small amphibians whose remains are rare at the close of the Cretaceous. It adds evidence that more than one albanerpetontid lineage coexisted in the region.
The findings help scientists map how ancient amphibian groups spread across Europe, informing research into past biodiversity. They offer a clearer picture of which species lived in the region before the end of the Cretaceous.
The takeaway
Fossil discoveries like this one reveal that the Cretaceous ecosystem of Europe was more varied than previously recorded. Each new species refines the broader history of life on the continent.
Further reading
Explore more on Geography to see how fossil finds like this one shape our understanding of ancient landscapes.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Portugal News.
