A “pre-reptile” that lived 260 million years ago may have been the first creature to stand upright on all fours, scientists believe.

Other animals alive at the time, during the Permian era, are thought to have “sprawled”, like modern lizards.

Analysis of fossil bones belonging to Bunostegos akokanensis showed it was different to any of its relatives.

Bones of several of the animals were found in Niger, which was an arid region 260 million years ago. Walking upright on all fours is more energy efficient than sprawling and would have made longer journeys between meals possible. Standing on all fours evolved independently in reptiles and mammals several times.

bbabo.Net