Scientists uncover world’s first ‘butt-drag’ fossil from 126,000 years ago

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Scientists have found a fossil that appears to be the oldest evidence of an animal dragging its bottom across the ground. Surprisingly, it wasn’t made by the creature you might think!

You’ve likely noticed a dog dragging its rear end across the ground. This strange behavior is common, and it can often mean the dog is uncomfortable, has allergies, or has parasites like worms.

Many dog owners might be surprised to learn that circling before lying down is a very old behavior – and dogs aren’t the only animals that do it! Scientists have found evidence that animals have been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years.

First-ever ‘butt-drag’ mark discovered from adorable African mammal

Scientists at the African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience in South Africa focus on studying fossils, footprints, and other evidence of life from long ago.

Researchers recently found what they think is a mark made by a hyrax around 126,000 years ago – likely from the animal dragging its rear end. A hyrax is a small mammal similar to a rodent, known for its distinctive, protruding teeth.

Scientists believe these are the first confirmed fossilized tracks showing a hyrax ‘booty-scooting,’ and the very first evidence of any animal using its rear to drag itself across a surface, preserved in stone.

How did they figure this out? According to the ACCP, they found fossilized waste – both feces and urine – inside the drag mark. They used a technique called optically stimulated luminescence, which helps determine the last time these materials were exposed to sunlight.

At first, experts at the ACCP thought the mark might have been made by an ancient animal other than a hyrax. However, they ultimately concluded it was a hyrax, based on how the drag marks matched its body shape and habits. They also found a fossilized clump of hyrax droppings, known as a coprolite, which confirmed their conclusion.

By understanding the significance of fossilized droppings – including those from rock hyraxes – and learning about the environments these animals lived in during the Ice Age, we’ll gain a completely new appreciation for these charming creatures, according to the American Consortium of Conservation Paleontology.

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2025-11-05 22:18