Scientists have uncovered the preserved stomach, liver and intestines of a marine reptile that lived roughly 245 million years ago, according to BBC Wildlife Magazine. The find was made in mountainous terrain in China.
BBC Wildlife Magazine reports that the organs belonged to a marine reptile, placing the animal in the period before the rise of the dinosaurs. The report does not name the species or the precise location within the Chinese mountains.
Soft internal organs rarely survive as fossils, which makes the discovery notable. According to BBC Wildlife Magazine, the stomach, liver and intestines were all identified in the remains.
The report was published on 30 September 2026. Beyond the age of the specimen and the organs recovered, BBC Wildlife Magazine's summary provides no further detail on the research team, the excavation or the methods used to identify the tissue.
Further scientific analysis is expected to clarify how the organs were preserved and what they reveal about the reptile's biology.
