Lizards locked in amber provide clues to reptile evolution
99-million-year-old fossils preserve gecko, chameleon characteristics
Some ancient lizards’ bad luck has become a gold mine of information for scientists.
Reptilian remains in roughly 99-million-year-old amber provide unusually detailed insight into the evolutionary history of lizards, researchers report March 4 in Science Advances.
The 12 chunks of amber, originally collected in Myanmar, contain parts of lizards that got trapped in tree resin during the Cretaceous period. Unlike stone, amber can fossilize small, delicate animals, as well as preserve soft tissues and organs.