80-Million-Year-Old Snake Fossil Shows Early Lineages Split Across 3 Habitats

3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Aug 6

An exceptionally complete 80-million-year-old snake from Brazil, Tametara mirim, shows early snakes had already diversified into underground, terrestrial and marine lifestyles.
CT scans and 3D brain reconstruction found Tametara was adapted for burrowing, while comparison with Argentina's Dinilysia patagonica indicated a separate lineage suited to life above ground.
Brain shape and bone microstructure pointed to repeated habitat shifts rather than a single route to limblessness, challenging long-running theories that snake origins were mainly underground or aquatic.
The Nature study suggests Late Cretaceous snakes were already experimenting with distinct sensory systems and ecological strategies, making early snake evolution more complex than a linear transition toward modern forms.