"300-Million-Year-Old Scaly Fossil Unveiled as Oldest Known Skin"
The oldest known fossilized skin, dating back at least 45 million years before the first dinosaurs, has been discovered in Oklahoma's Richards Spur limestone cave system. Preserved by a combination of low oxygen levels, clay sediments, and oil seepage, the skin belonged to a lizard-like creature from around 288 million years ago. The discovery sheds light on the early evolution of skin and reveals striking variation in dermal scales, indicating that they were standard at the time. This exceptional find provides valuable insights into the ancient aspects of modern reptile skin and enriches our understanding of pioneering animals from deep time.