There’s a reason scientists are always finding bones and not skin. Not only does skin decompose in a short amount of time, but it’s also eaten by scavengers. But every once in a while they luck out.
Case-in-point: Paleontologists in Oklahoma have unearthed a piece of fossilized skin that’s 288 million years old – about 130 million years older than the previous record holder. The skin, which was found in Richards Spur, is believed to have come from the earliest amniotes, which were lizard-like creatures with pebbly, scaly skin that lived on land, says University of Toronto paleontologist Ethan Mooney. What’s more is the skin isn’t just the outer layer; the internal structure of the epidermis is also intact, Mooney says.
After taking CT scans of the skin, researchers determined it was similar to that of a modern crocodile, with enough elasticity for the animal to move side-to-side as it walked, Mooney notes. Paleontologist Frederik Spindler says the discovery is “among the most meaningful” he’s seen.