"Unveiling the Truth: Exposing the Forgery of a Famous 280-Million-Year-Old Fossil"

A fossil reptile specimen from the Italian Alps, believed to be 280 million years old and important for understanding early reptile evolution, has been revealed to be partly a forgery after a new examination. The fossil, Tridentinosaurus antiquus, was thought to have preserved soft tissues, but it was found to be mostly black paint on a carved lizard-shaped rock surface. While the bones of the hindlimbs and tiny bony scales are genuine but poorly preserved, caution is now urged in using this specimen for future research.