News in Brief Animals

Snakes evolved from burrowing ancestor, new data suggest

Serpents did not descend from marine reptiles

Ptyas mucosa fossil

SEE-THROUGH SKULL  X-ray scans of the skulls of lizards and snakes, including Ptyas mucosa, the oriental rat snake, reveal clues that today’s snakes descended from burrowers.

H. Yi

By Meghan Rosen

- More than 2 years ago

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The mother of all snakes got its start underground.

X-ray images of snake and lizard skulls suggest that modern snakes’ ancestors burrowed rather than swam, scientists report November 27 in Science Advances.