Australian Fossil Footprints Rewrite Amniote Evolution Timeline

Fossilized clawed footprints discovered in southeastern Australia have been dated to around 355–358 million years ago, making them the oldest known evidence of amniotes—the group that includes reptiles, birds, and mammals. This finding pushes back the timeline for the evolution of amniotes by at least 35–40 million years, as previous oldest records were from Europe and North America and dated to about 318 million years ago. The trackways, found on Taungurung country near Mansfield, Victoria, show clear claw marks, indicating a reptile-like animal had fully adapted to life on land, unlike amphibians that still relied on water. The discovery challenges the long-held belief that amniotes first evolved in the northern hemisphere, instead pointing to their origins in Gondwana, the ancient southern supercontinent. Experts highlight the significance of this find in rewriting the evolutionary history of tetrapods, suggesting that the divergence between amphibians and amniotes occurred even earlier than previously thought. The research was a collaborative effort involving professional and amateur fossil hunters and specialists in CT scanning and trackway analysis.