A significant discovery in Australia has pushed back the origin of reptiles on Earth by up to 40 million years, challenging the widely accepted timeline of evolutionary history. The fossilized tracks, found in the Mansfield district of northern Victoria, date back to around 350 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period.
The finds were made by Professor John Long and his team from Flinders University, who identified the tracks as belonging to an amniote with clawed feet, likely a reptile. The discovery suggests that these animals originated on the ancient southern supercontinent Gondwana, with Australia at its center.
The new evidence challenges the previously accepted timeline of tetrapod evolution, which suggested that modern tetrapods emerged in the Late Carboniferous period. However, the fossil tracks suggest that this process occurred much earlier, around 318 million years ago.
“This discovery is profound,” says Professor Long. “It pushes the origin of reptiles back by 35-40 million years and changes our understanding of the early evolution of tetrapods.”
The study also provides new insights into the transition from fish to tetrapods, a process that has puzzled scientists for decades. The fossil tracks offer a unique window into the behavior and lifestyle of ancient animals.
The discovery was made through a collaborative effort between Australian and international experts, including Dr. Alice Clement, Dr. Aaron Camens, and Professor Per Erik Ahlberg from Uppsala University.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/game-changing-fossil-discovery-reveals-that-reptiles-appeared-on-earth-millions-of-years-earlier-than-thought