Missing link? Four-legged snake that could rewrite evolutionary history

The first known fossil of a four-legged snake has been discovered by a scientist on a routine field trip to a museum. It is hoped the find will help unravel the mystery of how serpents lost their legs. Dave Martill, from the University of Portsmouth, found the fossil in a collection in a German museum. It shows snakes evolved from burrowing lizards and not from marine lizards, Dr Martill said. He added: “It is generally accepted that snakes evolved from lizards at some point in the distant past. What scientists don’t know yet is when they evolved, why they evolved, and what type of lizard they evolved from.”

This fossil answers some very important questions, for example it now seems clear to us that snakes evolved from burrowing lizards, not from marine lizards.

Dave Martill, University of Portsmouth

Dr Martill made the discovery on a trip with students to Museum Solnhofen, which has a prestigious fossil collection. He said: “The fossil was part of a larger exhibition of fossils from the Cretaceous period. It was clear that no one had appreciated its importance, but when I saw it I knew it was an incredibly significant specimen.” The snake was named Tetrapodophis amplectus by the team. It is a juvenile and very small, measuring 20cm from head to toe, although it could have grown much larger.

A four-legged snake seemed fantastic and as an evolutionary biologist, just too good to be true, it was especially interesting that it was put on display in a museum where anyone could see it.

Nick Longrich, University of Bath

Science Snake with legs