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Related Experiment Videos

A fossil snake with limbs.

E Tchernov1, O Rieppel, H Zaher

  • 1Department of Evolution, Systematics, and Ecology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Berman-Lubin Buildings, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|March 17, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Fossil snake hindlimbs discovered in the Middle East reveal extreme development, challenging previous notions of early snake evolution and relationships. This finding places these ancient snakes closer to modern advanced groups.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Vertebrate Zoology

Background:

  • Fossil snakes with hindlimbs provide crucial insights into early snake evolution.
  • Previous discoveries like Pachyrhachis have offered glimpses into snake ancestry.
  • Understanding the phylogenetic placement of fossil snakes is key to reconstructing their evolutionary history.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe a new 95-million-year-old fossil snake from the Middle East with exceptionally developed hindlimbs.
  • To analyze the phylogenetic relationships of this new fossil and Pachyrhachis.
  • To clarify the evolutionary position of these hind-limbed snakes within the broader snake phylogeny.

Main Methods:

  • Detailed morphological analysis of the fossil snake, including its hindlimb skeletal elements (tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals, phalanges).

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  • Phylogenetic analysis incorporating the new taxon and re-examined Pachyrhachis data.
  • Comparative anatomy with extant and extinct snake groups.

    • Main Results:

    • The new fossil exhibits the most complete and extreme hindlimb development documented in fossil snakes.
    • Phylogenetic analyses indicate that both the new fossil and Pachyrhachis are closely related to macrostomatans (advanced snakes).
    • This placement excludes them from more primitive snake lineages like blindsnakes and pipesnakes.

    Conclusions:

    • The discovery of this fossil snake with advanced hindlimb development provides significant new evidence for snake evolution.
    • These findings suggest that hind-limbed snakes were part of the lineage leading to modern advanced snakes, not basal forms.
    • The study refines our understanding of macrostomatans and the early diversification of snakes.