An Amazing Fossil Sheds Light on Snake’s Beginning
Ancient snakes used to feed on dinosaur eggs. And the proof is in the fossils. Fossilized remains of a 67 million-year-old snake found coiled around a dinosaur egg provides insight into the snake’s habits as well as evolution. The snake was an estimated 11 1/2 feet long. Amazingly, the snake’s remains were nearly complete and well preserved. Findings in this week’s issue of PLoS Biology provide evidence that the snake fed on eggs and hatchings of sauropod dinosaurs. These dinosaurs were the largest animals ever. Some weighed as much as 100 tons. This means the snake was one of the few predators to prey on the long-necked herbivores. Also 100 million years ago, snakes were developing mobile jaws similar to those of vipers and boas. The fascinating history of snakes continues to amaze.
