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5d ago

Oldest Known Reptile Footprints Push Back Evolutionary Timeline by 35 Million Years

Fossilized clawed tracks from early Carboniferous sandstone in Australia suggest amniotes emerged far earlier than previously believed, reshaping tetrapod evolution theories.

An illustration of what the Amniote (early reptile) would look like from 350 million years ago.
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Overview

  • Fossilized clawed footprints discovered in Victoria, Australia, date to approximately 355 million years ago, making them the oldest evidence of amniotes—early reptile relatives.
  • The findings push back the origin of amniotes by 35–40 million years, suggesting they diverged from amphibians during the Devonian period, around 380 million years ago.
  • The tracks, preserved in sandstone, display distinct claw impressions and five-toed footprints, features characteristic of reptiles but not amphibians.
  • Amateur fossil hunters Craig A. Eury and John Eason made the discovery, highlighting the significant contributions of nonprofessionals to paleontology.
  • While broadly accepted, some researchers question whether the tracks reflect terrestrial walking or shallow-water movement, calling for additional body fossil evidence to confirm the interpretation.