GIANT SNAKE TALES QUIZ

by Larry O'Hanlon
 
snake bone fossil

Fishy Snakes, Snaky Fish

Answer: Look closely at this picture. This 90-million-year-old fossil from the Río Negro province of north Patagonia, Argentina, was unearthed in 2003.

It's an early land snake but it has hips and genuine working hind legs outside of its ribcage. This fossil supports the idea that snakes evolved on land from legged reptiles. Not from fish. In other words, snakes lost their legs, whereas fish never had any.

Love them or hate them, snakes have been around a lot longer than apes and humans. So while they have not won humanity's affection, they certainly have earned our respect.

Credit: Argentine Museum of Natural History

Article posted February 4, 2009.

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Image Credits Argentine Museum of Natural History

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