Prehistoric super salamander was top predator, fossils suggest

A previously undiscovered species of crocodile-like amphibian that lived during the rise of dinosaurs was among Earth's top predators more than 200 million years ago, a study shows. Palaeontologists identified the prehistoric species - which looked like giant salamanders - after excavating bones buried on the site of an ancient lake in southern Portugal. The species was part of a wider group of primitive amphibians that were widespread at low latitudes 220-230 million years ago, the team says. The creatures grew up to 2m in length and lived in lakes and rivers during the Late Triassic Period , living much like crocodiles do today and feeding mainly on fish, researchers say. The species - Metoposaurus algarvensis - lived at the same time as the first dinosaurs began their dominance, which lasted for over 150 million years, the team says. These primitive amphibians formed part of the ancestral stock from which modern amphibians - such as frogs and newts - evolved, researchers say. The species were distant relatives of the salamanders of today, the team says.