29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Nearly 300-million-year-old Oldest known fossilized reptile skin found in Oklahoma cave resembles that of modern crocodiles

Paleontologists say they’ve identified and described the oldest fossilized reptile skin ever found.

A team of paleontologists from the University of Toronto Mississauga discovered the fossilized skin of a reptile-like animal in a cave in Oklahoma. The skin fossil is estimated to be more than 20 million years older than the previous record-holder.

The finding, which is believed to be at least 286 million years old, was discovered in the Richards Spur cave system, a fascinating area of Oklahoma uniquely suited to preserve fossilized remains.

The soft tissue fossil is a rare find, made possible by a series of chance events. It provides insight into a distant evolutionary past that predates both mammals and the oldest dinosaurs.

In caves, fine sediment deposits and low oxygen levels help delay decomposition, according to lead study author Ethan Mooney, who is pursuing a master’s degree in paleontology at the University of Toronto (U of T).



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



The limestone caves of Richards Spur in Oklahoma contain some of the world’s most diverse and well-preserved fossils from the Paleozoic. At that time, the caves were filled with petroleum and tar from the nearby Woodford Shale, which saturated the fossils and further protected them from decay.

Richards Spur contains many fossils of Captorhinus aguti—an iguana-size, lizardlike reptile. Most specimens are skeletons, but one C. aguti fossil described in the Current Biology study retains a portion of its epidermis—the scaly outermost layer of skin made of the same keratin found in human hair and fingernails. Mooney emphasizes the importance of developing a thick, waterproof epidermis for survival on land.

Conditions within the limestone caves of Richards Spur in Oklahoma preserved fingernail-size fragments of fossilized reptile skin.MOONEY ET AL./CURRENT BIOLOGY

While studying these fossils, the researchers discovered a series of delicate specks that U of T biologist Tea Maho mistook for bone fragments smaller than a fingernail and as thin as a human hair. However, microscopic examination revealed that it was an exceptionally well-preserved piece of reptilian skin. The 3D fossil contains an inner dermis layer, which is rarely preserved, as well as a tough epidermis with individual bands of folded scales separated by a flexible “hinge” region with no scales, which would have allowed for growth and movement.

Though they can’t say for certain what animal the skin specimen was from, Maho and Mooney have an idea. Captorhinus aguti was a lizard-like animal known to have been common in the region during the Permian Period. It had four legs, a tail, was about 10 inches long, and had an omnivorous diet–eating insects, small vertebrates, and occasionally plants. Fossilized skeletal remains of C. aguti have been found at the same site, and aspects of the skin sample are similar to features of those larger fossils.

On top of being the oldest reptile skin ever discovered, Mooney notes the newly described specimen is also the oldest amniote skin ever found. Amniotes are the subcategory of animals that encompasses reptiles, birds, and mammals, and the finding offers insight into a key moment in animal biology.

Incredibly, the ~289 million-year-old specimen closely resembles present-day crocodile skin, according to the study. Both living crocodiles and the ancient bit of preserved epidermis have a pebble-like texture and a non-overlapping scale pattern.

Nearly 300 million years ago, “life would have looked very different,” Mooney says. But reptile skin might not have.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008

Cover Photo: A visual collage of skin fossils described in the new study. The mummified skin specimen is shown sliced into two pieces in the center-left of the image. The surrounding specimen scans are of fossilized skin impressions. Current Biology, Mooney et al.

Related Articles

Amateur Female Detectorist Discovers Rare 1,500-Year-Old Brooch in Northern Finland

8 August 2025

8 August 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery in the Finnish town of Kemi is offering fresh insights into the lives of elite women...

Kurt Tepesi: The Silent Sentinel in the Shadows of Göbeklitepe and Karahan Tepe – Unearthing the Forgotten Sister

31 May 2025

31 May 2025

In the arid plains of southeastern Anatolia, a quiet giant slumbers. While Göbekli Tepe has dazzled archaeologists and the global...

Tomb of a Roman doctor buried with unique surgical tools unearthed in Hungary

28 April 2023

28 April 2023

Hungarian archaeologists discovered the tomb of a Roman doctor 1st-century man buried with high-quality surgical tools near the city of...

Ancient objects found in Jerusalem could be hand grenades used 1000 years ago, New study says

27 April 2022

27 April 2022

New analysis into the residue inside ancient ceramic pots from 11th–12th century Jerusalem has found that they were potentially used...

New Discovery at Karahan Tepe: The Figure of a Running Wild Donkey Carved on Stone

31 August 2024

31 August 2024

The figure of a running wild donkey carved on a stone was discovered during excavations at Karahan Tepe, a Pre-Pottery...

Rare Bronze Age Metalworking Hoard Discovered in Wiltshire, Including an Anvil

20 February 2025

20 February 2025

A remarkable discovery has been made in Urchfont, a village located in Wiltshire, England, where a Bronze Age hoard of...

An exciting discovery in Hattusa, the capital of the Hittites

11 September 2022

11 September 2022

It is aimed to reach new information about the traditions of the Hittite civilization with 249 new hieroglyphs discovered in...

The first Dutch Neanderthal’s ‘Krijn’ face was reconstructed

7 September 2021

7 September 2021

World-renowned “paleo-artists” Kennis brothers have reconstructed the face of the first Neanderthal in the Netherlands. After more than 50,000 years,...

Archaeologists discover that Iranian farmers grew rice about 3,000 years ago

18 May 2023

18 May 2023

Archaeologists excavating in Iran’s Mazandaran region have revealed that Iranian farmers were cultivating rice as far back as 3000 years...

After 150 years, Schliemann’s destruction in Troy was repaired

8 August 2021

8 August 2021

Heinrich Schliemann, a German businessman, excavated the ancient city of Troy in northwest Canakkale province 150 years ago. Archaeologists are...

Mendik Tepe: A Neolithic Discovery That Could Rewrite History Before Göbekli Tepe

29 August 2025

29 August 2025

Archaeologists working at Mendik Tepe, a prehistoric mound in southeastern Türkiye, are unearthing evidence that may date earlier than the...

Researchers extract ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick

6 September 2023

6 September 2023

Researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, uncovering a wealth of information about the plant life...

Bronze Age and Roman-era settlements unearthed in Newquay

10 April 2023

10 April 2023

Archaeologists from the Cornwall Archaeological have uncovered ancient dwellings from the Bronze Age and a Roman period settlement in Newquay,...

Three New Domus de Janas Unearthed in Sardinia: 5,000-Year-Old “Fairy Houses” Discovered

29 July 2025

29 July 2025

Hidden beneath the rugged landscapes of Sardinia lie the silent dwellings of an ancient world — the Domus de Janas,...

2,700-year-old bronze figurine found in Germany’s Tollence River: goddess or weight?

9 April 2022

9 April 2022

A Bronze Age female figurine discovered in the Tollense River in northern Germany may have been a goddess, part of...