Israeli Researchers Discover 99-Million-Year-Old Lizard Tail Fossil
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Israeli researchers from Tel Aviv University have discovered a 99-million-year-old lizard tail fossil in Myanmar amber, providing the earliest direct evidence of tail shedding as a defense mechanism. The fossil shows a clean detachment point, similar to modern lizards. The study, published in Palaeontologia Electronica, used micro-CT scanning to analyze the specimen. While the exact lizard species is unknown, the finding confirms this survival strategy existed during the age of dinosaurs.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli researchers found a 99-million-year-old lizard tail fossil in Myanmar amber.
- The fossil is the oldest direct evidence of tail shedding as a lizard defense mechanism.
- The tail shows a clean detachment point, similar to modern lizards' autotomy.
- Micro-CT scanning was used to analyze the fossilized tail within the amber.
- The discovery confirms this survival strategy was present during the age of dinosaurs.
Researchers from Tel Aviv University have discovered the oldest direct evidence of a lizard shedding its tail as a defense mechanism. The fossilized tail, preserved in a 99-million-year-old piece of amber from northern Myanmar, provides the earliest concrete proof of this survival strategy.
The study, led by doctoral student Dolav Fabricant and supervised by Dr. Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou from the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, involved collaboration with scientists from the University of Athens and the Volcani Institute. Their findings were published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica.
While previous fossil discoveries hinted at ancient reptiles' ability to detach their tails, such as evidence of fracture points in vertebrae or regenerated tails, these did not definitively prove it was a defensive tactic. This new amber fossil, however, clearly shows the detachment point and allows for examination of how the tail separated from the lizard's body.
Fabricant initially overlooked the amber piece, mistaking the tail for a tiny branch. "When I looked closer, I realized what looked like a branch was covered in tiny scales. It was a lizard's tail," he recounted. Dr. Davranoglou expressed immediate excitement, stating the find opens an "extraordinary window into the past" to understand a common reptile survival strategy.
To overcome the amber's opacity, the researchers utilized advanced micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning at the Volcani Institute. Dr. Ahmed Nasser explained that this technology allowed them to reconstruct the fossil in 3D and examine internal structures without damaging the unique specimen.
The tail exhibits a ring-like tissue structure at its tip, similar to that observed in modern lizards when they shed their tails. The detachment area is also symmetrical and clean, lacking signs of accidental injury. While the tail confirms it belonged to a lizard, specific skeletal features like the skull are missing for definitive classification. Apostolos Christofoulos, a doctoral student at the University of Athens, suggested potential links to modern wall lizards or even legless lizards and monitor lizards.
The exact cause of the tail shedding remains unknown. It could have been a result of the lizard becoming stuck in resin and escaping, or an attempt to evade a predator. "We don't know what happened to this lizard or if it truly escaped, but the tail it left behind tells us that the defense mechanism known from its modern relatives was already in operation during the age of dinosaurs," the researchers concluded.
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