Latest news with #reptile
Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
How many Mission: Impossible films have there been? Take our quiz
A Magna Carta document thought to have been a stained copy has been revealed to be an genuine reissue from 1300. But in which US university is it kept? Meanwhile, England football striker Harry Kane has won his first major trophy. But which club does he play for? From Tom Cruise's Mission accomplished to a rediscovered reptile, see how well you've followed the headlines and post your score in the comments below.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Science
- CBC
Oldest fossil footprints from reptile found in Australia
Scientists in Australia have identified the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile-like animal, dated to around 350 million years ago. The discovery suggests that after the first animals emerged from the ocean around 400 million years ago, they evolved the ability to live exclusively on land much faster than previously assumed. "We had thought the transition from fin to limb took much longer," said California State University paleontologist Stuart Sumida, who was not involved in the new research. Previously the earliest known reptile footprints, found in Canada, were dated to 318 million years ago. The ancient footprints from Australia were found on a slab of sandstone recovered near Melbourne and show reptile-like feet with long toes and hooked claws. Scientists estimate the animal was about 80 centimetres long and may have resembled a modern monitor lizard. The findings were published Wednesday in Nature. Earliest animal with claws The hooked claws are a crucial identification clue, said study co-author and paleontologist Per Ahlberg at Uppsala University in Sweden. "It's a walking animal," he said. Only animals that evolved to live solely on land ever developed claws. The earliest vertebrates — fish and amphibians — never developed hard nails and remained dependent on watery environments to lay eggs and reproduce. But the branch of the evolutionary tree that led to modern reptiles, birds and mammals — known as amniotes — developed feet with nails or claws fit for walking on hard ground. "This is the earliest evidence we've ever seen of an animal with claws," said Sumida. At the time the ancient reptile lived, the region was hot and steamy and vast forests began to cover the planet. Australia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. The fossil footprints record a series of events in one day, Ahlberg said. One reptile scampered across the ground before a light rain fell. Some raindrop dimples partially obscured its trackways. Then two more reptiles ran by in the opposite direction before the ground hardened and was covered in sediment. Fossil "trackways are beautiful because they tell you how something lived, not just what something looked like," said co-author John Long, a paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Earliest-known 'reptile' footprints discovered by amateur fossil hunters in Victoria
Builder Craig Eury and winemaker John Eason were fossil hunting near the Victorian town of Mansfield when they spotted some footprints on a slab of rock. "It was literally the footprints that caught my eye — the light hit the rock in way that cast a shadow on the footprints," Mr Eury said. It turns out the footprints they discovered back in 2021 were made by an early relative of most land-based creatures — known as an amniote — according to a study published today in the journal Nature. John Long, a palaeontologist at Flinders University who led the study, said the fossil could help scientists understand when our animal ancestors first left the water to become land dwellers. Not only is the fossil the earliest-known amniote, Professor Long believes it may even be evidence of the earliest-known reptile. "It's almost certain that what we have are the earliest reptile trackways," he said. Mr Eury and Mr Eason — both study co-authors — discovered the footprints on the bank of Broken River in the Victorian Alps. Dated to be approximately 356 million years old, the trackway is 40 million years older than previous fossils. This means reptile-like creatures were walking on land in the earliest Carboniferous period, a time where vast swamp forests dominated Earth and most animals, like amphibians, lived at least partially in water. Claw imprints in the trackway were the "dead giveaway" that the footprints did not belong to an amphibian, according to Professor Long. "It's a characteristic of terrestriality, because it often implies you're climbing trees, or you need the claws of for digging … that amphibians just don't normally do." Anne Warren, an emeritus professor of palaeontology at La Trobe University who was not involved with the research, agrees. "This new track is undoubtedly from an amniote because there are five digits on the front foot, and these are clawed. In amphibians there are four anterior digits without claws," she said. "The find is of immense importance to our understanding of when and where the main vertebrate [group] evolved." The textbook-sized sandstone block shows two sets of tracks travelling in the same direction, one with well-defined paw prints and one less defined, claw-like marks. The team suggest both prints were made by the animal walking through the area — with the well-defined foot prints being made first, and the claw marks made later after the ground had begun to harden. But Anthony Romilio, a University of Queensland palaeontologist who specialises in trackways not involved in the study, was not so certain. He suggests the animal may have been swimming not walking. "I see [tracks like these claw-like marks] across a variety of different animals, when the animal is supported by water," Dr Romilio said. However Professor Long disagrees. "All of these thoughts were raised by reviewers and weighed up," he said. "In our opinion … the sharp claws digging in the second trackway are too precise to suggest they were digging or clawing the sediment underwater." More fossils from the same area and time frame might shed more light on the reptile-like creature, and whether it was walking or swimming through the mud. According to Professor Long, there's unlikely to be a shortage of fossils in the area known as the Snowy Plain Formation to uncover. "Certainly, the area is so vast that there is potential to find more of these trackways or even the bones of these creatures," he said. This discovery is particularly special for Professor Long, who has a long-time connection to the location where the fossils were found. "I'm so excited by this discovery because it comes from an area that I did my PhD and my honours thesis on 45 years ago," he said. "You've got this big, vast area of red carboniferous rocks in the basin there in Mansfield and you can still find world class fossils there." Years ago, Professor Long started giving talks at the local Mansfield library about the areas' fossils and had even gone on field trips out to the sites. "You plant the seed and encourage people to go out looking, and eventually they find something truly wonderful," Professor Long said. Mr Eason had been among those that had attended back in 2008 and retained his interest in fossil hunting, bringing Mr Eury into the fold. Mr Eury said he found the experience "surreal". He travelled to Sweden with the trackway so researchers from Uppsala University could study them.
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
A new discovery is rewriting the history of evolution by millions of years
Scientists in Australia have unearthed the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile -like creature, pushing back the timeline of terrestrial life by millions of years. The prints, dating back approximately 350 million years, suggest animals transitioned from aquatic to fully terrestrial life far more rapidly than previously believed. This discovery surpasses the prior record held by footprints found in Canada, dated to 318 million years ago. The finding challenges existing theories about the evolutionary journey from fin to limb. "We had thought the transition from fin to limb took much longer," commented California State University paleontologist Stuart Sumida, who was not involved in the study. The emergence of the first land-dwelling animals is estimated to have occurred around 400 million years ago. This new evidence significantly shortens the assumed timeframe for the development of fully terrestrial locomotion in vertebrates. The ancient footprints from Australia were found on a slab of sandstone recovered near Melbourne and show reptile-like feet with long toes and hooked claws. Scientists estimate the animal was about 2 1/2 feet (80 centimeters) long and may have resembled a modern monitor lizard. The findings were published Wednesday in Nature. The hooked claws are a crucial identification clue, said study co-author and paleontologist Per Ahlberg at Uppsala University in Sweden. 'It's a walking animal,' he said. Only animals that evolved to live solely on land ever developed claws. The earliest vertebrates -- fish and amphibians – never developed hard nails and remained dependent on watery environments to lay eggs and reproduce. But the branch of the evolutionary tree that led to modern reptiles, birds and mammals – known as amniotes – developed feet with nails or claws fit for walking on hard ground. 'This is the earliest evidence we've ever seen of an animal with claws,' said Sumida. At the time the ancient reptile lived, the region was hot and steamy and vast forests began to cover the planet. Australia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. The fossil footprints record a series of events in one day, Ahlberg said. One reptile scampered across the ground before a light rain fell. Some raindrop dimples partially obscured its trackways. Then two more reptiles ran by in the opposite direction before the ground hardened and was covered in sediment. Fossil 'trackways are beautiful because they tell you how something lived, not just what something looked like,' said co-author John Long, a paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Science
- CTV News
How ancient reptile footprints are rewriting the history of when animals evolved to live on land
This image provided by Prof. Per Erik Ahlberg shows an artist's illustration of the possible appearance of a reptile-like creature that lived around 350 million years ago in what's now Australia. The animal was around two and a half feet long and its feet had long fingers and claws, which are visible in newly discovered fossil footprints. (Marcin Ambrozik/Prof. Per Erik Ahlberg via AP) WASHINGTON — Scientists in Australia have identified the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile-like animal, dated to around 350 million years ago. The discovery suggests that after the first animals emerged from the ocean around 400 million years ago, they evolved the ability to live exclusively on land much faster than previously assumed. 'We had thought the transition from fin to limb took much longer,' said California State University paleontologist Stuart Sumida, who was not involved in the new research. Previously the earliest known reptile footprints, found in Canada, were dated to 318 million years ago. The ancient footprints from Australia were found on a slab of sandstone recovered near Melbourne and show reptile-like feet with long toes and hooked claws. Scientists estimate the animal was about 2 1/2 feet (80 centimeters) long and may have resembled a modern monitor lizard. The findings were published Wednesday in Nature. The hooked claws are a crucial identification clue, said study co-author and paleontologist Per Ahlberg at Uppsala University in Sweden. 'It's a walking animal,' he said. Only animals that evolved to live solely on land ever developed claws. The earliest vertebrates -- fish and amphibians – never developed hard nails and remained dependent on watery environments to lay eggs and reproduce. But the branch of the evolutionary tree that led to modern reptiles, birds and mammals – known as amniotes -- developed feet with nails or claws fit for walking on hard ground. 'This is the earliest evidence we've ever seen of an animal with claws,' said Sumida. At the time the ancient reptile lived, the region was hot and steamy and vast forests began to cover the planet. Australia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. The fossil footprints record a series of events in one day, Ahlberg said. One reptile scampered across the ground before a light rain fell. Some raindrop dimples partially obscured its trackways. Then two more reptiles ran by in the opposite direction before the ground hardened and was covered in sediment. Fossil 'trackways are beautiful because they tell you how something lived, not just what something looked like,' said co-author John Long, a paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Christina Larson, The Associated Press
