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Live birth in a 47-million-year-old snake
Mariana Chuliver1,2, Agustín Scanferla3, Krister T Smith4,5
1CONICET - Fundación de Historia Natural "Félix de Azara", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina. marianachp@yahoo.com.ar.
Die Naturwissenschaften
|November 5, 2022
Summary
Fossil snakes reveal the earliest evidence of live birth (viviparity) in a booid snake, dating back over 47 million years. This discovery challenges previous theories linking viviparity solely to cold climates.
Area of Science:
- Paleontology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Herpetology
Background:
- Viviparity (live birth) is common in snakes, but fossil evidence is scarce.
- Previous hypotheses linked squamate viviparity evolution to cold climates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first fossil evidence of viviparity in a snake.
- To investigate the evolutionary history and selective pressures of viviparity in booid snakes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of an exceptional fossil specimen of Messelophis variatus from the Messel Formation (Eocene, Germany).
- Examination of gravid female containing at least two late-stage embryos.
Main Results:
- The fossil represents the first documented case of viviparity in a fossil snake.
- This finding extends the known temporal range of viviparity in booid snakes by over 47 million years.
- Embryos show advanced ossification, indicating late-stage development within the mother.
Conclusions:
- Viviparity in booid snakes existed during early Paleogene thermal peaks, not just cold climates.
- This suggests that viviparity may have evolved under diverse selective pressures in this snake clade.
