Researchers have unearthed fossils of a colossal, salamander-like creature with sharp teeth that dominated aquatic habitats before dinosaurs existed. This formidable predator, larger than a human, likely used its wide, flat head and formidable front teeth to catch and devour prey, as scientists have deduced. The skull, measuring approximately 2 feet (60 centimeters) in length, was part of the findings. The fossils, which include parts of a skull and backbone, were meticulously analyzed after being collected around ten years ago, and the comprehensive study on Gaiasia jennyae was recently published in the esteemed journal Nature. This creature roamed the Earth approximately 40 million years before the first dinosaurs appeared, offering a rare glimpse into the prehistoric ecosystem.

Scientists have been examining ancient predators like Gaiasia jennyae to understand the origins of tetrapods—four-legged animals that transitioned from water to land and eventually evolved into amphibians, birds, and mammals, including humans. Most early tetrapod fossils have been found in prehistoric coal swamps in North America and Europe. However, these latest fossils, dating back about 280 million years, were discovered in modern-day Namibia, a region once covered with glaciers and ice. This remarkable discovery suggests that tetrapods may have thrived in colder climates earlier than previously thought, raising new questions about their evolutionary trajectory. Claudia Marsicano from the University of Buenos Aires, a co-author of the study, emphasized that the early story of the first tetrapods is much more complex than previously understood. The creature’s name, Gaiasia jennyae, honors the late paleontologist Jennifer Clack, who extensively studied tetrapod evolution, and is derived from the Gai-As rock formation in Namibia where the fossils were found.