Prehistoric skinks: The evolution of skinks in Australia

Comparisons of fossil taxa with living skinks reveal tantalising insights into the environment the extinct animals inhabited and the roles they played within Australian ecology. Fossils have the potential to tell us where existing groups of animals came from, when they came and how they’ve changed since they arrived. As more fossils are discovered a better understanding of how skinks arrived in Australia and what unique lineages they share with other extant and extinct lizards will be revealed. There are many more enticing skink fragments hidden away in museum collections around Australia and there is always the possibility that a significant discovery breakthrough at a fossil site will eventuate.