Cretaceogekko
Encyclopedia
Cretaceogekko is a prehistoric genus
of gecko
known from a single partial specimen Cretaceogekko burmae described in 2008 by E. Nicholas Arnold and George Poinar. The foot and partial tail were preserved in Burmese amber
for 97 to 110 million years. This is the oldest fossilized gecko ever found, 43 to 56 million years older than Yanatarogecko, previously the oldest known preserved gecko. The amber in which the specimen was found was excavated in 2001 from the isolated Hukawng Valley
of Myanmar.
The preserved foot and partial tail show that the geckos of the Lower Cretaceous
already possessed the tiny lamellae, or sticking toe setae; counting them convinced paleontologists that the fossil was a juvenile. It had a striped skin pattern that probably served as camouflage.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
known from a single partial specimen Cretaceogekko burmae described in 2008 by E. Nicholas Arnold and George Poinar. The foot and partial tail were preserved in Burmese amber
Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
for 97 to 110 million years. This is the oldest fossilized gecko ever found, 43 to 56 million years older than Yanatarogecko, previously the oldest known preserved gecko. The amber in which the specimen was found was excavated in 2001 from the isolated Hukawng Valley
Hukawng Valley
The Hukawng Valley is an isolated valley in Burma, roughly in area. It is located in Tanaing Township in the Myitkyina District of Kachin State in the northernmost part of the country.-Rivers:...
of Myanmar.
The preserved foot and partial tail show that the geckos of the Lower Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
already possessed the tiny lamellae, or sticking toe setae; counting them convinced paleontologists that the fossil was a juvenile. It had a striped skin pattern that probably served as camouflage.