Renowned 280-Million-Year-Old Lizard Fossil Against a Rock Is Partially Forged, Just a Paint [Study]

An ancient lizard fossil turned out to be different from what was previously presented to the world. Paleontologists who wanted to know more about it realized it was partially forged.

Renowned Fossil Lizard Partially Forged

The fossilized specimen of Tridentinosaurus antiquus, first discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931, was thought to be around 280 million years old. The 8-inch lizard fossil appears dark against the surrounding rock, and the color was assumed to be soft tissues preserved.

A new study has found, however, that the fossil is actually black paint on a carved piece of stone surrounding a few fossilized bones. It was partially forged and was not completely real.

"The peculiar preservation of Tridentinosaurus had puzzled experts for decades. Now, it all makes sense. What it was described as carbonized skin is just paint," said paper co-author Evelyn Kustatscher, a paleontologist at the Museum of Nature South Tyrol.

When the black substance was examined under a microscope, researchers discovered that it was painted over the rock and that its texture and composition were not like those of real petrified soft tissues. Using ultraviolet light photography, they realized that the specimen was completely covered in a varnish of some kind.

According to the research, the Tridentinosaurus antiquus specimen's body contour was probably manufactured to improve the fossil's appearance. This finding was previously unknown because the specimen had not been thoroughly examined.

Still, the fossil is not a total hoax. The hindlimb bones are authentic despite their poor preservation. The study also revealed that the animal's back has osteoderms, which are microscopic bone scales.

Scientists are puzzled by the animal's possible geological past due to the apparent skin. The species reportedly belonged to Protorosauria.

"Fossil soft tissues are rare, but when found in a fossil, they can reveal important biological information, for instance, the external coloration, internal anatomy and physiology," Valentina Rossi, a researcher at University College Cork's School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, said in a statement. "The answer to all our questions was right in front of us, we had to study this fossil specimen in detail to reveal its secrets - even those that perhaps we did not want to know."

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Lizard Evolution

In related news, lizards continue to evolve. Lizards in Puerto Rico reportedly developed new physical features to adjust to their surrounding.

Biology professor Kristin Winchell of New York University in the United States claimed they observed the evolution of Puerto Rican lizards firsthand. They noticed that the crested anole (Anolis cristatellus) had grown new scales that allowed it to stick to smoother surfaces, such as windows and smooth walls in cities.

Their legs tend to get longer and seem stronger, in addition to growing new scales. They can run across wide spaces without getting caught by a predator.

According to the team, genetic modifications were occurring. The Anolis cristatellus genome contains more than 30 genes linked to urbanization.

According to Winchell, if physical and genomic changes occur simultaneously in urban populations, it may be possible to forecast the population's response to urbanization based on genetic markers.

There's no denying the versatility of lizards. Ecology & Evolution claims that because of their lengthy evolutionary history, they have acquired a wide range of abilities, including the ability to glide, swim, survive in arid environments, live high up in forest canopies, climb smooth surfaces, and race over water.

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Check out more news and information on Lizards in Science Times.