Scientists in China discovered a 245-million-year-old marine reptile fossil, named Austronaga minuta, featuring the oldest known intact digestive system in a reptile. Published in Science Advances, the find from China's Yunnan Province preserves a single-chambered stomach, an iron-rich liver with traces of hemoglobin, and looped intestines containing tiny fish scales.
Key Fossil Details
▫️Creature Name: Austronaga minuta
▫️Age: 245 million years old (Triassic period)
▫️Location: Yunnan Province, China
▫️Size: About 2 feet long
▫️Diet: Small fish (confirmed by scales in the gut)
Preserved Soft Tissues
▫️Stomach: A large, sac-like, single-chambered structure at the front.
▫️Liver: Retains a reddish tint with detectable hemoglobin traces.
▫️Intestines: Looping and tubular structures located behind the liver.
#Paleontology #Prehistoric #ScienceNews
