A fossil found by a 12-year-old in Beijing has filled a major gap in Asia’s Middle Jurassic record, marking the first confirmed amphibian footprint from the period.

The findings were published last week in peer-reviewed journal “Ichnos” after Ni Jingchen, an elementary school student, posted pictures of the fossil online. The fossil was discovered while Ni was in Beijing’s Mentougou District with his parents. The post caught the attention of Xing Lida, an associate professor at the China University of Geosciences, who later led a research team to the site.

Until now, Middle Jurassic trace fossils in Asia consisted mainly of dinosaur and turtle tracks, with no documented evidence of amphibians. The newly identified footprints provide the first such evidence, confirming that small, land-adapted amphibians lived in the region about 160 million years ago.

The fossil includes two small footprints believed to be from the same animal: a four-toed front footprint measuring 1.5 cm long, and what the research team believes may be a hind footprint.

Using 3D scanning, researchers created detailed digital models to analyze the tracks. After comparing them with other known prints, they concluded the tracks were likely made by early, land-adapted amphibians from the Salamandroidea suborder — the most diverse group of modern tailed vertebrates, including salamanders and axolotls.

These amphibians coexisted with the rich flora of ferns, ginkgoes, and cycads in the marshlike environment of Beijing 160 million years ago.

“This important study…serves as a vivid example of public participation in paleontological discovery,” Xing said. “It greatly encourages non-professional enthusiasts, particularly young people, to engage in natural science exploration and highlights the importance of protecting fossil sites and paying attention to geological outcrops in the field.”

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: Left: The first Middle Jurassic amphibian footprint fossil. Right: Ni Jingchen, who discovered the fossil, in Beijing. From @北京日报 on Weibo)