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Possible 25 Million Year Old Frog Found

Posted by Zonk on from the ancient-froggie dept.

dispatch writes "A small frog, found preserved in amber, has been found by researchers in Mexico City. The frog, according to the scientists, may be some 25 million years old! According to the article: 'The chunk of amber containing the 0.4-inch frog was uncovered by a miner in southern Chiapas states in 2005 and was bought by a private collector, who lent it to scientists for study.' Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though the scientists will be allowed to drill into the rock, at the owner's request."

8 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Losers by 4D6963 · · Score: 4, Informative

    However, he expressed doubt that the stone's owner would allow researchers to drill a small hole into the chunk of amber. "I don't think he will allow it, because it's a very rare, unique piece," said Carbot.

    Oh my god losers, they didn't even ask him, they just say "oh well I don't think he'll accept".

    it doesn't seem as though the scientists will be allowed to drill into the rock, at the owner's request.

    I love the smell of a misleading summary in the morning.

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    You just got troll'd!
  2. Re:A frog's no good anyway by dosboot · · Score: 2, Informative

    Frogs back then ate flies, just like today. If this frog had poor eyesight he might have eaten a mosquito. Sometimes, after eating a mosquito the frog would rest on the branch of a tree, and get stuck in the sap. After a long time, the tree sap would get hard and become fossilized, just like a dinosaur bone, preserving the frog inside!

    This fossilized tree sap -- which we call amber -- waited millions of years, with the mosquito inside until Jurassic Park's scientists came along. Using sophisticated techniques, they extract the preserved blood from the mosquito, and...

    BINGO! Dino DNA!

  3. No need to drill it - 3D tomography first by G3ckoG33k · · Score: 4, Informative

    Check out the 3D pics at http://digimorph.org/. Once that is done, and no relevant information was found, one might proceed to persuade the owner. To take a destructive step first is just unnecessary.

  4. Well if they are willing to wait... by PostPhil · · Score: 3, Informative

    ...the frog has been preserved for millions of years, another 50 isn't going to make a difference. The scientific community could just wait for the owner to die, then they can get the amber and drill anyway.

    (...or they could just ask nicely.)

  5. Critters in Amber - Pictures by giafly · · Score: 2, Informative

    These are found quite often.

    If you found a frog in most products you'd be disgusted. Here it's a good thing. Anyone know who does their PR?

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    Reduce, reuse, cycle
  6. Re:Crunchy? by laejoh · · Score: 1, Informative

    Those who modded this Offtopic obviously don't know their Monty Python stuff!

  7. Re:A frog's no good anyway by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Alas, the frog is too young for dinosaurs anyway, so it wouldn't matter if it was a vampire frog.

  8. One Froggy Evening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Straight out of the classic Looney Tunes cartoon... Michigan J. Frog!

    "Hello! ma baby, Hello! Ma honey, Hello! ma ragtime gal."
    etc etc.