Extinct frog capable of eating dinosaurs

An extinct frog called Beelzebufo would have snacked on small dinosaurs, a new university study has found.

A joint study by the University of Adelaide, California State Polytechnic University, University of California and University College London has found that the Beelzebufo frog lived in Madagascar and would have been larger than any living frog.

It was capable of eating small or juvenile dinosaurs.

Dr Marc Jones from the University of Adelaide says the frog's bite force would have been similar to wolves or female tigers.

"Their powerful jaws play a critical role in grabbing and subduing the prey," Dr Jones said.

The scientists made the discovery by comparing the bite force of living South American horned green frogs which share a similar genus to the Beelzebufo.

The scientists measured the bite force using a custom-made force transducer, a device which accurately measures the force.

"At this bite force, Beelzebufo would have been capable of subduing the small and juvenile dinosaurs that shared its environment," Dr Jones said.