X-rays reveal hidden leg of an ancient snake: New hints on how snakes were

Synchrotron X-ray investigation of a fossilized snake with legs is helping scientists better understand how in the course of evolution snakes have lost their legs, and whether they evolved from terrestrial lizards or from reptiles living in the oceans. New 3-D X-ray images reveal the internal architecture of an ancient snake's leg bones to resemble that of modern terrestrial lizard legs.

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Use this thread to discuss the article above. What are your thoughts about X-rays reveal hidden leg of an ancient snake: New hints on how snakes were getting legless?

You have to love science and technology!

This has always interested me although I have never taken the time to delve more thoroughly into it....did snakes evolve from land lizards or sea creatures?

I think this question is too general. I believe that different groups of snakes in various locations have evolved from whatever creatures were there before them, whether they were on land or in the sea originally.

There is a lizard called a Galliwas (not sure of this spelling) that has really tiny, almost vestigial legs that serve it no apparent purpose at all, it might as well be a snake, and maybe it is???

Also, what about their diet? All snakes are carnivores, but only some lizards. That is another reason I think it depends on the location and the conditions there over a long time...but I am just rambling on here a bit, and am no expert.

I never even wondered about aquatic vs. terrestrial ancestry. I always just assumed they were terrestrial (well, we have glass lizards too, that make me think snake evolution all over again.)

Originally Posted by Dragoness

I never even wondered about aquatic vs. terrestrial ancestry. I always just assumed they were terrestrial (well, we have glass lizards too, that make me think snake evolution all over again.)

And in England, they have slow worms which are lizards without legs.
New found discoveries that change current knowledge are coming thick and fast these days it seems.

Hehe. I <3 me some Eupodophis.

This is really another example of science being less and less wrong all the time. I never really thought snakes might have had a common ancestor with lizards that was marine, but it would make sense. Glad to see it's starting to become cleared up.

Wow, this artical was great! I'ts amazing how animals/reptiles can adapt to the ever changing conditions and needs. Takes a long time but it's so cool that we have this wonderful technology to find these things out.
Thanks for another great article!

OK just to completley mix stuff up. Does anyone else believe in a young Earth, approx 6,000 years old and that the genetic information allows for adapatation? Not evolution from one complete species to another?

This makes me think about the article about the ancient Boa. From thinking about it, I just looked it up to see if it was on here.

At 2,500 Pounds And 43 Feet, Prehistoric Snake Is Largest On Record

If we could only imagine what kind of animal constrictors are really related to.

Many species of skink are in the process of losing legs - you can see several example of skinks with altogether diminished legs, some with only one pair of legs, and many of the glass lizards here are very skink-like. The southern glass lizards here (Glass Lizard) looks skink-like to me. That said, I have not studied it's genetics or physiology - so that is just my hunch!

Glass lizards still have a very lizard-like head (jaw structure, eyelids, etc).