Oldest fossil footprints from reptile found in Australia
Scientists in Australia have made a groundbreaking discovery – the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile-like animal, dating back to around 350 million years ago. This finding has shed new light on the timeline of animal evolution, suggesting that the transition from ocean to land occurred much faster than previously thought.
The ancient footprints were unearthed on a slab of sandstone near Melbourne, Australia, and reveal reptile-like feet with long toes and hooked claws. These footprints provide crucial evidence of an animal that had evolved to live exclusively on land, as only land-dwelling creatures develop claws for walking on solid ground.
The animal that left these footprints is estimated to have been about 80 centimeters long and likely resembled a modern monitor lizard. The presence of hooked claws on the footprints is a key identification clue, indicating that this creature was one of the earliest known animals with claws.
The region where these footprints were found was once part of the supercontinent Gondwana, covered in vast forests and experiencing hot, steamy weather. The fossil footprints tell a story of a day in the life of these ancient reptiles – one reptile scurrying across the ground, rain falling lightly to partially obscure its tracks, followed by two more reptiles running in the opposite direction before the ground hardened and was covered in sediment.
This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the timeline of animal evolution and highlights the rapid pace at which some species adapted to life on land. The study, published in Nature, has provided valuable insight into the early stages of reptile evolution and the development of land-dwelling animals with claws.
Fossil trackways like these offer a glimpse into the behavior and movement patterns of ancient creatures, allowing scientists to piece together the story of how life on land evolved over millions of years. This exciting discovery opens up new possibilities for further research and exploration into the history of life on Earth.
