science

Only part of rare 280 million-year-old fossil is real — the rest is mostly paint


A rare 280 million-year-old fossil resembling a lizard-like creature is mostly just a carved rock painted black, a new analysis reveals.

The Permian fossil, discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931 and named Tridentinosaurus antiquus, is shaped like a lizard and has a dark coloration, which researchers thought was preserved skin. However, in actuality, most of its body is human-made, according to a new study published Feb. 15 in the journal Palaeontology.



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