An ancient lizard fossil, renowned for its remarkable preservation and older than the dinosaurs, might be a partial forgery. The fossil, known as, Tridentinosaurus antiquus, was found in Italy in 1931, and was used to pinpoint evolution in early reptiles. However, an analysis published in Palaeontology found that the fossil’s preserved black outline is not skin, but paint.
“The peculiar preservation of Tridentinosaurus had puzzled experts for decades. Now, it all makes sense. What it was described as carbonized skin, is just paint,” said Evelyn Kustatscher, study co-author and curator at the Museum of Nature South Tyrol, in a press release.
