Oldest rib‑breathing reptile found

A mummified Captorhinus from Oklahoma (~289 million years old) preserves skin, cartilage and protein, and the fossil’s rib‑and‑shoulder anatomy matches a costal (rib‑driven) breathing system like modern lizards. The specimen pushes the record of preserved animal proteins back by about 100 million years and supports the idea that rib‑assisted respiration was ancestral for early amniotes. — If rib‑breathing evolved earlier than thought and molecular preservation extends deeper in time, evolutionary narratives and methods (molecular paleontology, timing of key adaptations) must be revised, influencing textbooks, museum storytelling, and public understanding of when animals conquered land.