New Fossils in NSW Opal Field Reveal 'Age of Monotremes'

May 26, 2024, 03:01 PM

A series of recent fossil discoveries in an opal field in New South Wales, Australia, have provided compelling evidence for an 'Age of Monotremes.' These fossils, unearthed from an opal field, suggest that ancient egg-laying mammals once thrived in the region. Among the notable finds is a prehistoric species dubbed the 'echidnapus,' which foreshadows the modern platypus and echidna, the only two egg-laying mammals alive today. The discoveries include three new species of ancient egg-laying mammals. This trove of fossils is being hailed as 'enormously exciting' by researchers, as it sheds new light on the evolutionary history of monotremes.