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Keyword: lepidosaurs

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  • Scientists Find Fossilized Ancestor of All Scaled Reptiles, And It's Absolutely Tiny

    08/29/2021 7:49:08 PM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 17 replies
    Science Alert ^ | August 27, 2021 | Clare Watson, Nature
    Lepidosaurs are scaled reptiles such as lizards, snakes, and New Zealand's tuatara, which together represent the most diverse group of land-living vertebrates alive today. Yet little is known about their early origins compared to the other arms of reptilian evolution which produced crocodiles, birds, and turtles... The fossil, found in Ischigualasto Provincial Park in northwest Argentina, is about 11 million years younger than the oldest known lepidosaurs from Europe, but one of the best-preserved specimens of its kind, which means the team can have more confidence in their analyses... It's a lucky find, especially considering the origins of lepidosaurs have...