Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Ancient Alligator Fossil Challenges Climate Change Extinction Theory

3/14/2025

41 7

Summary

Story summary

A groundbreaking study in Historical Biology uncovers a 12.2-million-year-old alligator skin fossil in Vienna, revealing that Diplocynodon thrived in Europe far longer than scientists believed. This discovery challenges the notion that climate change was solely to blame for their extinction, instead pointing to severe droughts that decimated their wetland habitats.

1 of 1

Story summary

A groundbreaking study in Historical Biology uncovers a 12.2-million-year-old alligator skin fossil in Vienna, revealing that Diplocynodon thrived in Europe far longer than scientists believed. This discovery challenges the notion that climate change was solely to blame for their extinction, instead pointing to severe droughts that decimated their wetland habitats.