The reptile labour that lasted 248 million years
What a moment to preserve in time. Scientists have
discovered a fossil capturing what could be the oldest live reptilian
birth – 10 million years older than those seen before.
The Chaohusaurus was a giant marine
reptile that lived about 248 million years ago. It looked a little like
a cross between a dolphin and a lizard, with flippers but no dorsal
fin. In this exceptional specimen, discovered in a quarry in Anhui,
China, you can clearly see a live birth – the baby ichthyosaur's head
has just exited its mother's pelvis. There are at least two other
offspring involved in the birth: one is still inside the mother's body,
the other lays beside her.
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