Archive · 20 Jul 2026
3.5-million-year-old giant salamander discovered in Japan
Scientists in Japan found three old bones from a giant salamander that lived about 3.5 million years ago.
They first thought it was like other big salamanders, but after looking closely, they realized it was a new kind.
This salamander was about 3.6 feet long, which is almost as big as the largest ones we have today.
The bones were found in different places and were not from the same animal.
The special part of one bone helped them know it was a new species.
This discovery helps fill in a big gap in the history of giant salamanders, which have been around for about 60 million years.
Three fossilized vertebrae of a giant salamander were discovered in Japan between 1995 and 1997.
The salamander, named Limnospondylus ajimuensis, lived about 3.5 million years ago and measured 3.6 feet long.
Initial classification under the genus Andrias was later revised due to unique features in the mid-trunk vertebra.
The discovery fills a significant gap in the evolutionary history of giant salamanders.
The Ajimu region in Japan is the only site where fossils of the giant salamander family and extant genera have been found.
- Who
- Researchers from Kyoto University
- What
- Discovery of a new giant salamander species
- When
- 3.5 million years ago
- Where
- Ajimu region, Japan
- Why
- To study the evolutionary history of giant salamanders
Scientific Classification
Temporary Classification
Species Identification
Scientific Classification
The bones were initially classified under the genus Andrias, which includes Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders, due to insufficient skeletal material.
Temporary Classification
Further analysis revealed unique features in the mid-trunk vertebra, leading to the identification of a new species, Limnospondylus ajimuensis.
- Species Name
- Limnospondylus ajimuensis
- Age
- 3.5 million years old
- Size
- 3.6 feet long
- Discovery Location
- Ajimu region, Japan
- Discovery Period
- 1995-1997
- Fossil Type
- Three vertebrae
- Ancient Lineage
- 60 million years