The remaining fossils of skin and various skin impressions originate from some of the earliest amniotes. This lizard-like animal is one of the first creatures to live their entire lives on dry land, far from the water's edge, and their bodies are covered in rough and scaly skin.

The early reptile fossils had their skin composed of 24 strips behind their skull. The newly discovered fossil is the oldest record of preserved skin ever found, about 130 million years older than the previous record holder, and it not only contains the texture of the outer skin but also the structure of the inner epidermis.