In a groundbreaking discovery, seventeen ancient footprints found in southeastern Australia are turning the tables on our understanding of reptile evolution. Dating back around 355 million years, these remarkable imprints suggest that reptiles emerged much earlier than scientists previously believed.

The fossilized footprints, preserved in a sandstone slab from an ancient muddy riverbank, display critical features typical of reptilian tracks, including specific shapes, toe lengths, and notable claw marks. Researchers speculate they were left by a creature roughly the size of a modern-day lizard.

This discovery pushes back the timeline for the emergence of reptiles by about 35 million years, indicating that the evolutionary journey of land vertebrates happened more swiftly than we ever imagined. "This is radical stuff," exclaimed paleontologist Per Ahlberg from the University of Uppsala, who led the study published in 'Nature'.

Found along the picturesque Broken River near Barjarg, Victoria, the sandstone slab measures about 14 inches (35 cm) across. The story of land vertebrates began with fish venturing out of water, evolving into the first tetrapods—animals that walk on four limbs and ancestors to modern amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds.

While the oldest footprints of these tetrapods were found in Poland, dating to 390 million years ago, the new Australian footprints redefine our understanding of evolutionary history. As early reptiles began to emerge, they split into two main lineages: amphibians and amniotes, the latter including reptiles, mammals, and birds.

Each of the footprints measures approximately 1-1.5 inches (3-4 cm), showcasing the prints of three individuals from the same species, all without any signs of tail or body drag. This intriguing find offers hints about the reptile's appearance, which likely resembled a lizard, measuring about 60 to 80 cm (24 to 32 inches) in total length.

Described as 'lizard-like,' this early reptile was likely a predator, as herbivorous reptiles had not yet evolved. Their evolutionary paths would lead to substantially larger descendants, such as the mighty dinosaurs.

The research team also announced the discovery of similar fossilized footprints in Poland, dated to 327 million years ago, further bolstering the idea that these reptiles appeared long before previously documented evidence from Canada, which is around 320 million years old.

Thriving during the Carboniferous Period, a time of global warmth with icy poles, Australia was part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, featuring lush forests filled with massive clubmoss trees. Ahlberg remarked on the landscape's vibrant ecosystem, stating, "The tracks were left near the water's edge of what was probably quite a large river, inhabited by diverse big fishes."