How lizards, turtles, and crocodiles got their bone armour
Skin bones, or osteoderms, have evolved independently multiple times across reptile lineages, a new study reveals. Researchers used fossil data and computational tools to trace 320 million years of evolution. Remarkably, goannas re-evolved these protective skin structures after losing them, challenging long-held evolutionary theories and highlighting nature's surprising adaptability.
Skin bones, or osteoderms, have evolved independently multiple times across reptile lineages, a new study reveals. Researchers used fossil data and computational tools to trace 320 million years of evolution. Remarkably, goannas re-evolved these protective skin structures after losing them, challenging long-held evolutionary theories and highlighting nature's surprising adaptability.
