Fossilized lizard tail in amber reveals ancient defense mechanism

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have discovered a detached lizard tail preserved in a piece of amber dating back 99 million years, Ynetnews reported. The fossilized remain was recovered from northern Myanmar. The study was led by researcher Dolev Fabrikant. [1]

The finding provides the oldest direct fossil evidence of caudal autotomy, the defensive mechanism where a lizard sheds its wriggling tail to escape from a predator, according to Ynetnews. While the adaptation is well documented in modern lizard populations, direct physical proof of the behavior existing tens of millions of years ago during the age of dinosaurs was previously lacking. [1]

The researchers noted clear limitations in what the specimen can reveal about the specific event. Ynetnews reported that the team does not know what originally caused the ancient lizard to shed its tail, nor whether the animal successfully escaped the encounter. [1]