# Arctic fossil left in 1948 identified as giant new species 2026-08-16T11:02:55+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A fossil discovered on Bjørnøya (Bear Island) in the Arctic in 1948 and left behind has been identified as a new species of ancient amphibian-like creature, Arctobatrachus urdensis. It is the largest known plagiosaurid, measuring about 2.7 m (8.9 feet) long. The skull alone was 70 cm wide but only 21 cm long, giving it a boomerang-like shape. The fossil was rediscovered by a Norwegian field party in 1984 after scientists assumed the Arctic winters had destroyed it. It was excavated and later prepared at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart. Using photographs from 1948, researchers reconstructed missing parts and determined it was an active hunter and likely a top predator during the Triassic period. Analysis shows Arctobatrachus urdensis is one of the earliest plagiosaurids, offering clues about how these flat-bodied, bottom-dwelling creatures evolved. The study, published in a scientific journal, adds to understanding of marine life around 240 million years ago. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Arctobatrachus urdensis, fossil, plagiosaurid Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/arctic-fossil-left-in-1948-identified-as-giant-new-species/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/arctic-fossil-left-in-1948-identified-as-giant-new-species/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/