science

Vieraella

Vieraella is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vieraella rather than just read about it. In short: Vieraella is an extinct genus of frogs from the Lower Jurassic (Early Pliensbachian to Toarcian) Roca Blanca Formation of Argentina, and one of the oldest true frogs known. This genus is known by a single exceptionally well-preserved specimen, P.V.L. 2188, with at least eight presacrals vertebrae, free ribs, ulna and radius not fused, bony skull with some discoglossid characters.

Key takeaways

Vieraella belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vieraella to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vieraella from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vieraella is an extinct genus of frogs from the Lower Jurassic (Early Pliensbachian to Toarcian) Roca Blanca Formation of Argentina, and one of the oldest true frogs known. This genus is known by a single exceptionally well-preserved specimen, P.V.L. 2188, with at least eight presacrals vertebrae, free ribs, ulna and radius not fused, bony skull with some discoglossid characters.

Description Despite living around 188 million years ago, Vieraella was anatomically very similar to modern frogs. For example, its hind legs were adapted for jumping, and the skull already possessed the lattice-like form found in modern species. It was, however, an unusually small frog, measuring only 3 centimetres (1.2 in) in length. Although older frog-like creatures are known, such as Triadobatrachus, these possessed many primitive characteristics, and cannot be said to be "true" frogs.

References

Further reading Estes, R., and O. A. Reig. 1973. The early fossil record of frogs: a review of the evidence. pp. 11–63 In J. L. Vial (Ed.), Evolutionary Biology of the Anurans: Contemporary Research on Major Problems. University of Missouri Press, Columbia.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vieraella

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vieraella claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vieraella before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vieraella ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vieraella

In research: Vieraella appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vieraella in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vieraella is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Early Jurassic amphibians, Early Jurassic animals of South America, Fossil taxa described in 1963, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vieraella outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vieraella in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vieraella means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vieraella out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vieraella in simple terms?

Why does Vieraella matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vieraella?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vieraella.