Named Mike, or M ikebulli, in honour of Flinders University lizard researcher Professor Mike Bull, the tiny skink is 25-million-years-old, making it the continent's oldest skink. Professor Bull passed away in 2016, but not before inspiring generations of reptile scientists. "Our colleague Professor Bull's long-term ecological studies of sleepy lizards were a massive contribution to biology," said Professor Mike Lee from Flinders University. "The fossil record is essentially data from a long-term natural ecological study, so it's fitting that this fossil lizard is named in honour of Mike." Palaeontologists and volunteers from Flinders University and the South Australian Museum focused on parts on the lake, seven hours drive north of Adelaide, where other fossils were previously unearthed. The area was once lush and green and is considered the continent's unique fauna cradle, particularly for its reptile diversity.