{
  "id": 17996360,
  "title": "99-Million-Year-Old Amber Reveals Earliest Direct Evidence of a Lizard Shedding Its Tail",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/99-million-year-old-amber-reveals-earliest-direct-evidence-of-a",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-03T17:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Discover Magazine",
    "slug": "discover-magazine",
    "url": "https://www.discovermagazine.com/99-million-year-old-amber-reveals-earliest-direct-evidence-of-a-lizard-shedding-its-tail-49890"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 99-million-year-old piece of amber has revealed the earliest direct evidence of a lizard shedding its tail. The tiny tail, measuring just 0.7 inches long, was found encased in cloudy amber and analyzed using micro-computed tomography scans. The fossil, which predates the Cretaceous Period, provides proof that lizards have been dropping their tails for at least 99 million years. However, the significance of why this particular tail was shed remains a mystery, as well as whether the lizard survived the ordeal. The researchers hope that a complete fossil will soon be discovered to provide more insight into the history of this iconic reptilian survival tactic.",
  "summary": "Learn how a lizard tail preserved in amber may reveal that lizards have been shedding their tails to escape death longer than we previously knew.",
  "key_points": [
    "99-million-year-old amber reveals earliest evidence of lizard shedding tail",
    "Tiny 0.7-inch tail found encased in cloudy amber",
    "Fossil predates Cretaceous Period, lizard's survival status unknown"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}