Ancient Reptile's Bizarre Crest Rewrites Evolutionary History | JQJO

Paleontologists have discovered a 247-million-year-old reptile, *Mirasaura grauvogeli*, with a unique, elaborate crest unlike anything previously seen. This early reptile, a drepanosaur, possessed a complex skin outgrowth resembling a frill, predating known feathered dinosaurs. The crest's composition is likely keratin, and its function may have been visual communication. This finding challenges our understanding of early reptile evolution and the development of complex appendages, as published in Nature.