110-Million-Year Old Four-Legged Snake Fossil Found
- 9 years ago
The oldest known snake, Tetrapodophis amplectus, which has four limbs, provides substantial evidence for the theory that snakes evolved on land.
A recently-discovered fossil from Brazil appears to show a snake with four legs. This is the first of its kind known to scientists, and at over 110 million years old, is the oldest snake fossil on record.
The snake’s limbs are only a few millimeters in length, which would have made them useless for walking, but researchers believe they might have been used to grab prey or perhaps even mates, leading the new species to be dubbed Tetrapodophis amplectus, or "four-footed snake that embraces."
The snake’s tiny limbs also provide evidence of adaptation for burro
A recently-discovered fossil from Brazil appears to show a snake with four legs. This is the first of its kind known to scientists, and at over 110 million years old, is the oldest snake fossil on record.
The snake’s limbs are only a few millimeters in length, which would have made them useless for walking, but researchers believe they might have been used to grab prey or perhaps even mates, leading the new species to be dubbed Tetrapodophis amplectus, or "four-footed snake that embraces."
The snake’s tiny limbs also provide evidence of adaptation for burro