Mysterious Wall Stone Turned Out to Be an Unexpected Treasure

A retired chicken farmer in Kincumber bought sandstone for a retaining wall and discovered an ancient animal imprint after flipping the block.

The specimen was donated to the Australian Museum and later identified as Arenaerpeton supinatus, a rare, nearly complete temnospondyl fossil from about 240 million years ago.

The find is considered one of New South Wales’ most important fossil discoveries in decades.

Its unusual soft tissue preservation could help scientists better understand early amphibian evolution and Australia’s ancient ecosystems.