#18: An Ancient Gecko

It’s wild to think that modern geckos have existed for millions of years. The earliest known modern gecko we know of dates from 100 million years ago. This particular photo is of an ancient gecko preserved in amber that dates back to about 54 million years ago. According to experts, this fossil was found in northwestern Russia and is from the Early Eocene period.

The amount of detail that has been preserved is truly wild. You can see all the bumps and ridges on this little guy’s skin. It’s a real, visceral example of nature that existed on our beautiful planet long ago. This particular discovery was a big deal because the gecko has an adhesive system on the pads of its feet, proving that geckos had this capability for far longer than previously believed.