CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Scientists from Oregon State University and the Natural History Museum in London have announced

the finding of the oldest known fossil parts of a gecko, a lizard, preserved in amber after 100 million years.

Because of the preservative power of amber, a fossil tree resin, the gecko's foot retains tiny sticky toe hairs that

still give modern geckos the ability to cling to flat surfaces or run across a ceiling.

OSU

The foot of the oldest gecko every found, fossilized in amber

Only a foot and part of a tail are in the amber, found in Myanmar, formerly Burma.

The finding is at least 40 million years older than the previous record-setter.

The findings were just published in the journal Zootaxa.

The gecko is common in warm regions including parts of the American South. They often are kept as pets.