Four-legged snake fossil found

Description

An “absolutely exquisite” fossil of a snake that had four legs has been discovered by a team of scientists and may help show how snakes made the transition from lizards to serpents.

It is the first known fossil of a four-legged snake, and the team – led by Dr Dave Martill from the University of Portsmouth – say that this discovery could help scientists to understand how snakes lost their legs. The findings are published in the journal Science.

The fossil, from Brazil, dates from the Cretaceous period and is 110 million years old, making it the oldest definitive snake. Dr Martill discovered the fossil as part of a routine field trip with students to the prestigious Museum Solnhofen in Germany.