Oldest skink fossil found in Australian outback may hold key to lizard evolution

The 25m-year-old find that will help fill in the gaps in the record of one of the continent's most diverse species

A tiny fossil pulled from the edge of a scorching salt lake in the South Australian outback is the oldest known remains of a skink ever found on the continent and may provide a vital clue to the lizard's evolution.

The team of palaeontologists and volunteers from Flinders University and the South Australian Museum found the 25m-year-old specimen during an excavation in 2017.