Dhaka, Oct. 27 -- A heavily armoured amphibian may have lived in the sea around 237 million years ago, offering new clues about how early vertebrates adapted to saltwater, according to a report by Nature.

Researchers found two well-preserved fossils in China's Guizhou province, an area believed to have been covered by a salty sea during the Late Triassic period.

The newly identified species, provisionally named Gerrothorax Maritimus, measured about 74cm long and had a flattened body covered almost entirely in armour, cited per Nature.

The report said that no modern amphibian species lives exclusively in marine environments. The fossils could therefore represent a significant development in understanding amphibian evolution.

Steve Brus...