Ancient Footprints Rewrite Reptile Evolution History
Seventeen ancient footprints discovered in southeastern Australia reveal that reptiles emerged 35 million years earlier than previously known. The fossilized tracks, found in sandstone on an ancient riverbank, suggest a rapid evolution of land vertebrates. This discovery challenges existing timelines of reptile evolution.
A groundbreaking discovery in southeastern Australia is reshaping our understanding of reptile evolution. Seventeen footprints preserved in a sandstone slab dating back approximately 355 million years indicate that reptiles emerged significantly earlier than previously believed.
The fossilized traces, likely left on a muddy riverbank, include two complete trackways and an isolated print, all characteristic of reptile footprints with distinct shapes, toe lengths, and claw marks. Researchers deduce the footprints belong to a reptile with dimensions akin to a modern lizard, signaling reptiles existed about 35 million years prior to prior estimates.
The study, led by paleontologist Per Ahlberg from the University of Uppsala and published in Nature, highlights this as a radical shift in our evolutionary timeline. The sandstone slab was found near the town of Barjarg in Victoria, offering new insights into an era when reptiles roamed the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, during a period of global temperatures similar to today.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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