Havana, July 24 (RHC) A team Scientists discovered in Brazil a fossil of a snake with four legs 113 million years could be the direct ancestor of modern snakes.
The researchers believe the animal was not using her delicate arms and legs to walk but that served to catch its prey.
The fossil shows adaptations for digging, not for swimming, which reinforces the idea that snakes evolved on land.
If they evolved on land or in water is a longstanding debate among paleontologists.
“This is the fossil of the most primitive snake known, and it is very clear that it is not water,” Nick Longrich said , researcher at the University of Bath in UK, and one of the study’s authors.
According Longrich told the BBC, the shape of the tail of the creature is not swimmable and not There are signs of the presence of fins.
Instead, his long trunk and short snout are the typical features of an animal that burrows.
Named Tetrapodophis amplectus , the fossil measured 19.5 cm long. Their front and rear extremities (4 mm and 7 mm respectively) are very small and highly specialized, very thin fingers and claws at the end.
Bruno Simoes, snakes specialist Museum of Natural History London, was surprised by the good state of preservation of the fossil and so well developed that are his limbs.
“It’s a surprise, especially because of its proximity to the current snakes,” he told Simoes to BBC.
“It gives us a clear idea of what the ancestor of snakes”. (Source: BBC)
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