205-Million-Year-Old Fossil Confirmed as World's Oldest Lizard
Originally Published 1 year ago — by IFLScience
A 205-million-year-old reptile, Cryptovaranoides microlanius, discovered in a quarry near Bristol, UK, has been confirmed as the world's oldest modern-type lizard. Initially identified in a 2022 study, the finding faced skepticism from other scientists who suggested it might be an archosauromorph, related to crocodilians and dinosaurs. However, further analysis, including X-ray and CT scans, reaffirmed its classification as a lizard, pushing back the emergence of these animals by 30 million years. The study is published in Royal Society Open Science.