World's Oldest Chameleon Discovered in Amber Fossil Can Give Clue to Lost Ecosystem, Says Scientist

A fossilized lizard discovered in Southeast Asia contained in amber goes back roughly 99 million years.

The lizard is around 75 million years older than the previous record holder.

Florida scientists have thinks it's it the oldest specimen of its kind and can be a significant help to see the "missing link" for reptile scientist.  The dozen specimens were found in the forests of a region called Myanmar. 

The fossilzed lizard was discoved decades ago in a mine, well-keptreptile fossils, but the scientists were able to analyze it only recently.

There was a various population of lizards living in the region at the time.

"It was incredibly exciting to see these animals for the first time," Edward Stanley study co-author and herpetology researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History, said on Saturday. "It was exciting and startling, actually, how well they were preserved." 

"The assemblage is cool because it has some examples which are really, really modern and then others which are really, really old, and then others in between," he added.

Of the dozen lizard specimens, three-a gecko, an archaic lizard and the chameleon-were especiallyed well-preserved.

The new species will be named and described in a near future study.