Ancient reptile footprints are rewriting the history of when animals evolved

https://apnews.com/article/oldest-reptile-footprints-australia-963e3c38c8d5782e7ac20f5405f15f89

32•gmays•8mo ago

Comments

veunes•8mo ago

The detail that really stuck with me was the presence of claws. That small anatomical feature says so much

singularity2001•8mo ago

on the other hand I have seen fish with claws

metalman•8mo ago

And now I need to take a closer look at a small trackway that I brought home, after I might add watching a greater portion erode out of a cliff face and disapear into the surf over a few years, not that there is any shortage of animal fossils and other things like fossilised rain and wave impressions, literaly 1000's of km³. As to the information that can be extracted from a trackway, it would be intetesting to run these past indiginous trackers and have them consult with scientists to train field workers doing palentological research, a realy realy cold trail.

veunes•8mo ago

How much information is just sitting in those little impressions, waiting to be interpreted

adityaathalye•8mo ago

Getting Silurian Hypothesis vibes [1], thinking about subduction, glaciers, the rise and abatement of sea levels, and just plain ol' erosion and corrosion.

That something so incredibly ephemeral as footprints in dirt could survive longer than the rings of Saturn is breathtaking. Except Sharks. Sharks are not only breath-taking, they are forever [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silurian_hypothesis

[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/Astronomy/comments/dp7key/things_in...

hydrogen7800•8mo ago

>Except Sharks

My favorite shark fact is that they pre-date trees.

adityaathalye•8mo ago

I think it's good that Sharks pre-dated, and not predated Trees. Because then we wouldn't be around talking about them.

hydrogen7800•8mo ago

Ha, nice catch. I considered the pun as I posted, but decided to just leave it as an easter egg.

gnabgib•8mo ago

The paper's very readable: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08884-5 (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44033911)

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