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An Ancient Animal May Have Lived in the Sea

Two old skeletons give scientists a new clue.

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Science news editorial illustration for Armoured Amphibian Fossils Suggest Life Far Out at Sea

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have the of an in . They it have in the . The was an of . , in this and .

The . The 237 . Their were and with . The they were was from .

in the to . the be the to in the . They its .

Source: University of California, Davis, 2026-10-26.

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Read and understand · 1/2How long ago did the animals live?

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About 237 million years ago. The text dates the animals to about 237 million years ago.

Clue: The team examined two skeletons. The animals lived about 237 million years ago. Their bodies were flat and covered with hard plates. The area where they were buried was once far from land.

Read and understand · 2/2What do the chemical clues in the bones point to?

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Seawater. The text says the chemical clues point to seawater, but how the animal handled salt is still unclear.

Clue: Chemical clues in the bones also point to seawater. Researchers say the animal could be the first known amphibian to live fully in the sea. They still cannot tell exactly how its body handled salt.

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Name two clues that suggest the animal lived in the sea.

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The animals were buried in a place that was once far from land. Chemical clues in their bones also point to seawater.

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