News Paleontology

An ancient creature thought to be a teeny dinosaur turns out to be a lizard

Weird, hummingbird-sized O. khaungraae has puzzled scientists since its discovery

illustration of a lizard sitting on a branch. shown is its head and neck with sap dripping down around it

Fossils of two specimens preserved in amber — Oculudentavis naga (illustrated) and O. khaungraae — have been identified as lizard species that lived about 99 million years ago.

Stephanie Abramowicz/Peretti Museum Foundation, A. Bolet et al/Current Biology 2021

By Carolyn Gramling

- More than 2 years ago

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

A tiny creature caught in amber 99 million years ago isn’t the smallest dinosaur ever found.