Ancient Footprints in Australia Rewrite Evolution Timeline of Tetrapods

A discovery in Australia reveals fossil footprints that alter the timeline of tetrapod evolution. These findings suggest the early evolution of tetrapods might have occurred in Gondwana, challenging the notion that the origin was in the northern hemisphere. The stride rewrites the story of land-based animals.

An extraordinary discovery in Australia's Victoria region may reshape our understanding of tetrapod evolution. Fossil footprints uncovered in a sandstone slab show that four-legged creatures roamed the Earth far earlier than previously believed.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, suggest that the earliest amniotes, a group that includes reptiles, birds, and mammals, may have originated around 35 million years earlier than previously thought. The discovery, indicating a southern evolutionary path in Gondwana rather than Euramerica, questions long-held beliefs on where and when these creatures first appeared.

The tracks, some displaying claw marks, were imprinted on land dating back 359 to 350 million years. This makes the slab found near Mansfield not only the oldest known record of early amniote footprints, but also a pivotal link in unraveling the complex origins of modern terrestrial life.

(With inputs from agencies.)