Earliest reptile footprints discovered

Newly discovered fossilised footprints provide the
earliest evidence yet of the evolution of reptiles.
The tracks are around 356 million years old,
making reptiles up to 40 million years
older than previously thought


AUSTRALIA
Canberra
500km
300 miles


50mm

Fossil tracks found on slab of
rock recovered from Snowy
Plains Formation,
Victoria

Front foot
in yellow

Back foot in blue


FROM LIFE IN WATER TO LAND – Millions of years ago (Ma)

419.2			358.9			298.9
DEVONIAN EPOCH 			CARBONIFEROUS EPOCH

~400 Ma:
Tetrapod
origins

~356 Ma: Snowy
Plains Formation
tracks

~320-330 Ma:
Amniote origins


Emergence of four-limbed creatures
tetrapods onto land was key step in
evolutionary journey of terrestrial
organisms, including humans

Amniotes became only group
of tetrapods fully adapted to life
on land by producing eggs
that did not need to be laid
in water – membranes
surrounding eggs
protected
them from
drying out


Artist’s 
impression
of track
maker

Creature’s size
(~80cm long) and
shape comparable
to that of modern
Asian water monitor


Sources: Nature 
Pictures: Marcin Ambrozik, Grzegorz Niedzwiedzki 
© GRAPHIC NEWS