Did Snakes Have Legs?

Scientists have, for the first time, found a 113-million-year-old fossil of a four-legged snake in Brazil.

21:31 26 July 2015

For centuries, scientists have discovered different types of fossil snakes with different characteristics or features. Some of their discoveries include snakes with hind limbs. However, this is the first time that they’ve found a fossil of a four-legged snake which is estimated to be about 113-million-years old and it was found in Brazil.

 

Scientists estimated that the said snake is the direct ancestor of modern snakes. It had delicate arms and legs that were not used for walking but for grabbing its prey. The fossil shows adaptations for burrowing, not swimming, providing proof that snakes evolved on land.

 

Dr Nick Longrich from the University of Bath, one of the authors of the new study published in Science magazine, said: "This is the most primitive fossil snake known, and it's pretty clearly not aquatic," 

 

"It's pretty straight-up adapted for burrowing," he said.

 

He added that the snake has "a lot of very advanced snake features" including its hooked teeth, flexible jaw and spine - and even snake-like scales.

 

"And there's the gut contents - it's swallowed another vertebrate. It was preying on other animals, which is a snake feature.

"It was pretty unambiguously a snake. It's just got little arms and little legs."