A species of ancient snake had hind limbs for around 70 million years before losing them, scientists have discovered. This shows these creatures lived successfully with legs for a very long time ...

Recent study sheds new light on the enigmatic early evolution of snakes by examining an unexpected source: their brains. The results emphasize the significance of studying both the soft parts of ...

The fossil record of squamates, encompassing both lizards and snakes, provides an intricate account of evolutionary innovation over millions of years. Fossils elucidate key morphological transitions, ...

At a lab in Berkeley, California, there’s a mouse with no legs. Its head, torso, and tail are normal. It just lacks limbs. It didn’t lose those limbs; it just never grew them originally. And that’s ...

Palaeontologists adds a new piece to the puzzle of snake evolution. New research from a collaboration between Argentinian and University of Alberta palaeontologists adds a new piece to the puzzle of ...

Chromosome-level assembly of 14 snakes in a study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, has created a high-resolution genomic reference for the study of snake evolution. In a paper, ...

Ancient snakes once possessed four limbs, but evolution dramatically reshaped them. A genetic 'switch' called the ZRS enhancer, crucial for limb development, became inactive over millions of years.

Michael Caldwell is affiliated with the University of Alberta, Departments of Biological Sciences and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, and receives funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering ...

A peculiar 37-million-year-old snake fossil, Paradoxophidion richardoweni, unearthed in England, is rewriting evolutionary timelines. Its unique vertebrae, unlike any known snake, suggest a lifestyle ...

It is easy to think of snakes as creatures that were always legless, gliding effortlessly through grass or sand. Yet millions of years ago, their ancestors had four fully formed limbs. The journey ...