Dossier
Austronaga minuta
Coverage of Austronaga minuta in the Nexus archive.
- Spectacular fossil preserves internal organs of ancient marine reptile
A 245-million-year-old fossil of Austronaga minuta, a marine reptile from the Triassic Period, preserves its intact digestive system, including the stomach, liver, and intestines. Found in Yunnan province, China, the specimen belongs to the archosaur group, which includes dinosaurs and crocodiles, and shows reptilian digestive anatomy has remained largely unchanged for over 240 million years.