The evolution of the snake is one of the most fascinating unsolved mysteries on Earth. The first snakes appeared about 130 million years ago, and since then, they have continued to amaze and admire us for their unique characteristics and adaptability. Snakes, unlike other reptiles, do not have limbs and their bodies take on a long, flexible form, which allows them to burrow into the tightest of spaces and glide on a variety of surfaces. There is no doubt that this anatomical feature is the result of millions of years of evolution, but the specific mechanisms that cause these changes remain a mystery.
Fossils of snakes are often small and fragile creatures, meaning that their remains are often incomplete and fragmentary, which poses a challenge to understanding their evolutionary origins. However, modern genetics and paleontological research have brought us closer to unraveling this evolutionary mystery. Snakes are thought to have originated from a land lizard from the Early Cretaceous period, and the most likely ancestor is thought to be the Varano lizard, which includes the largest lizard of modern times, the monitor lizard. They are large and powerful creatures that can reach impressive size and occupy the status of apex predators in their ecosystems.
Interestingly, the prehistoric snake may be related to the giant prehistoric monitor lizard Megarania, a giant lizard with a body length of about 8 meters from head to tail and a weight of more than 2 tons, making it one of the largest known land reptiles on Earth. Although we can only speculate on the rate of evolution of these giant snakes, fossil evidence suggests that such animals did exist.
To say that the evolution of snakes is full of mystery is an understatement. Although we already have some understanding of the origins and development of these amazing creatures, there are still many questions to be answered. However, thanks to ongoing research and new discoveries, we hope to uncover more secrets about this amazing evolutionary history in the near future.
Recently, the paleontological community has suggested that the largest prehistoric snake in the world is the Giganto python, an amazing creature that is about 10 meters long from head to tail and weighs no less than half a ton. According to the classification, the jiganto python is classified as a species of python, which indicates that it has a strong connection with the widespread anaconda genus. The snake lived during the Cretaceous period, about 110 million years ago, and its remains were found in the Kratu Formation in Brazil, a fossil-rich formation. Most amazingly, the remains of the snake's last meal – a four-legged salamander – are preserved between its bones, in the place of its pre-living intestines, which gives us interesting insights into its food preferences and role in the ecosystem. The body of a four-legged snake has several characteristics that are adapted to life on the ground, which indicates that it has the ability to live on the ground.
The characteristics adapted to swimming highlight the uniqueness and diversity of snake evolution, as well as their ability to adapt to different environments and lifestyles. The evolutionary history and diversity of snakes still excite scientists today, and each new discovery brings us closer to understanding these amazing and mysterious creatures. However, there are still many questions waiting to be answered.
Fossils were first studied in the ancient times of the Sennorman Order, and their genus and species were described at the beginning of their discovery, and the species name is derived from the Greek word ophis, which means snake. This snake is about one meter long, has 75 teeth, and is called Hasiophis. It lived about 100 million years ago and is a snake with many teeth. Matsoi snakes, a prehistoric snake, appeared about 90 million years ago and did not become extinct until 2 million years ago. The Cretaceous and Pleistocene remains of these reptiles were first discovered in Argentina in the 30s of the last century. In 1933, George Gaylord Simpson named it.
Another snake associated with it is called Nahash and lives in forested areas of South America. Nahash is derived from the biblical legend of the forbidden fruit that tempted Adam and Eve. Nahash lived in Patagonia about 9 million years ago, and its anatomy shows that it lived in caves, had a pair of small legs, and moved mainly on the ground, similar to modern snakes.
Those who advocate the aquatic origin of snakes believe that their ancestors were plesiosaurs. The theory they put forward is that snakes began to evolve about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic period. However, current scientific evidence is not sufficient to support this view. During the Early Cretaceous period, snakes differentiated into several groups, including terrestrial snakes such as Nahash and aquatic snakes. We cannot rule out that different forms of snakes lost their limbs independently and in parallel. At the moment, the trend is more inclined towards the terrestrial origin of the snake, which is obviously not enough to draw a final conclusion. However, Patagonia's findings challenged the ocean hypothesis and inspired further research in the field.
About 70 million years ago, on the territory of modern India, Sanaiya was a prehistoric snake. It is the only snake species capable of hunting dinosaurs, especially juvenile and small dinosaur species. The Titan Python is the largest known prehistoric snake in the world, growing up to 15 meters long and weighing up to 1 ton. It did not hunt dinosaurs, as the giant only appeared after the extinction of the Cretaceous dynasty of dinosaurs. The titan python in South America is more than 15 meters long and weighs an estimated 1 ton. Curiously, the titan python belongs to the Miocene epoch, which appeared about 5 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs, before the appearance of giant mammals. The only plausible conclusion is that this prehistoric snake hunted an equally huge prehistoric crocodile. Similarly, this snake may sometimes encounter the same giant prehistoric turtle, which lived in India about 70 million years ago. Sana'ía is smaller in size compared to its larger relatives, but is believed to be the only snake species capable of hunting dinosaurs, with the main prey being dinosaur cubs and small prehistoric creatures. The titan python appeared during the Miocene, when the dinosaurs were extinct, but the giant mammals had not yet appeared. These amazing creatures illustrate the diversity and size of the prehistoric world.
Warnambi is a python that lived in Australia about 40,000 years ago and prefers to be close to water sources and prey on kangaroos and other animals that come to drink. The local indigenous people forbade children to play in these areas because of the dangers that vanambi lurked. Warnamby's description is based on fossils found in South Australia, the first extinct snake found in Australia. Its name is derived from the local indigenous language, which means "rainbow snake", as it is called so in mythology.
About 10 years ago, paleontologists discovered a snake with hind legs in sediments dating back about 95 million years. This discovery helped identify the ancestors of snakes and shed light on the mystery of how these reptiles lost their legs. The fossil belongs to a type of snake that is about 50 centimeters long. The remains found were sent to the Natural History Museum in Paris for in-depth study, since the snake's two legs were equally developed. It can be inferred that the partial loss of a limb is not due to injury or developmental defects, but rather indicates that the ancestors of the snake began the process of reducing their legs. This interesting discovery broadens our understanding of the process of evolution and adaptation in reptiles. There are only three fossil snakes that have preserved their hind limbs and lost their forelimbs: Hasiophis, Pacciracas, and Opodorpheus. These snakes are born slightly incomplete due to certain genetic changes that prevent the legs from being fully formed during the embryonic stage. There are two mutated genes responsible for limb development. Eventually, after these two genes disappeared, the legs of the ancient snake stopped growing.
All known snakes are highly skilled predators that feed on a variety of animals, be they sea creatures, vertebrates, or invertebrates. Some snakes are more exclusive predators, and they only hunt specific prey. For example, the smooth river crab snake eats almost exclusively on river crabs. Non-venomous snakes kill their prey by swallowing it alive, such as a grass snake, or by pressing it down with its jaws and wrapping its body around the ground or by suffocating. Venomous snakes usually swallow their prey whole.
During predation, snakes exhibit a unique swallowing mechanism. By alternating movements of the right and left half of the jaw, the snake seems to deftly place itself on its prey. Some snake species even feed on other snakes, such as king snakes.
Tracing back to the ancestors of snakes, they once lived a digging lifestyle. As a result, the snake's body gradually evolved to be more slender in order to squeeze through tight spaces more easily. At the same time, in order to adapt to this lifestyle, the snake gradually loses its limbs and moving eyelids. Because these body parts are not necessary when living underground, and in moist soil, the eyes remain moist, so the snake acquires a transparent film formed by its fused eyelids to protect the eyes.
There is an opinion that the ancestors of snakes were a group of lizards called monitor lizards. Like snakes, these monitor lizards have long, flexible tongues, extra articulations in the lower jaws, and similar vertebral structures. In Indonesia, there is even a species of deaf monitor lizard that, like snakes, does not have an external ear opening. However, there is a great difference in the structure of the skulls of monitor lizards and snakes, and in addition, the results of DNA molecular analysis also show that the two groups are far apart.
Despite this, there are some lizards that live a digging lifestyle, the most representative of which are members of the Scincidae family in Australia and New Guinea. These members have an elongated serpentine body that closely resembles a snake in appearance. This resemblance is also reflected in their eyelids, which, like snakes, fuse and form a transparent shell that protects the eyes. However, it is unlikely that members of the Scincidae family are direct ancestors of snakes.
Based on current evidence and molecular research data, geckos are one of the closest relatives of snakes. The two groups were separated from other scaly animals about 180 million years ago, while their respective separations occurred at a much later time, about 165 million years ago. This discovery provides strong support for us to fill in the gaps in reptile history and solve one of the most intriguing puzzles in evolution.
It is worth mentioning that paleontologists have found a new way to study. It allows scientists to obtain images of fossils at a resolution of a few microns, a thousand times smaller than a hospital CT scan. To obtain a three-dimensional image, the scientists simply rotated the fossil slightly at a slight angle and took a few thousand two-dimensional images until a full 360° rotation was completed. 3D images are then generated from these images through a special computer program, which shows not only the surface structure of the fossil, but also the internal structure of the bones. This approach is expected to help us solve other evolutionary puzzles in the near future.
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