289-Million-Year-Old Reptile Mummy Reveals Origin of Human Breathing System

A 289-million-year-old Captorhinus aguti fossil from Oklahoma has revealed the earliest known rib-driven breathing system in amniotes.

Researchers also found exceptionally preserved soft tissues, including skin, cartilage, and protein remnants, kept in 3D detail.

The find pushes back evidence for the evolution of the human-style breathing mechanism.

It offers a rare, unusually complete look at early Permian land vertebrate anatomy.