"300-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Skin Unearthed in Oklahoma Quarry"
Researchers have discovered the oldest known fossilized skin, dating back to the early Permian Period, in a limestone cave system in Oklahoma. Belonging to an ancient reptile, the epidermis sample is smaller than a fingernail and is the first-known skin-cast fossil from the Paleozoic Era. Preserved by interactions between hydrocarbons in petroleum and tar, the skin bears similarities to crocodile skin and provides insight into the initial stages of amniote diversification.