Microraptor's World
Frog
Mesophryne
Splayed out like a dissected animal in a high school biology class,
this fossil leaves little doubt as to what kind of creature it once
was. Frogs are extremely ancient, dating back some 250 million
years. By the time this animal lived, more than 100 million years
later, numerous species of frogs likely rested on the muddy shores
of Liaoning's lakes, though fossil hunters have yet identified only
a few. Some of these species appear closely akin to frogs now
hopping about Asia, Europe, and North Africa—and even savored
as culinary treats in modern-day Liaoning.