Thanks ETL.
Posted on 08/12/2018 9:05:43 AM PDT by ETL
The newly-reported specimen was obtained from an amber deposit in the Angbamo area in Myanmar’s Kachin province.
The fossil is a 1.6-inch (4.75 cm) long postcranial skeleton made up of 97 vertebrae; the snake’s head is missing. It dates from the Late Cretaceous epoch, approximately 99 million years ago.
“This snake, named Xiaophis myanmarensis, is linked to ancient snakes from Argentina, Africa, India and Australia,” said University of Alberta’s Professor Michael Caldwell.
“It is an important — and until now, missing — component of understanding snake evolution from southern continents, that is Gondwana, in the mid-Mesozoic.”
“At 99 million years old, it dates back to the age of the dinosaurs, well before snakes started to differentiate into modern groups,” added Dr. Alessandro Palci, from Flinders University and the South Australian Museum, Australia.
“This Asian fossil helps shed light on how primitive snakes dispersed from the southern to the northern continents.”
“Although found in the northern hemisphere, it strongly resembles South American snakes that lived at the time.”
The amber fragment in which Xiaophis myanmarensis was found also provided important clues about its environment.
“It is clear that this little snake was living in a forested environment with numerous insects and plants, as these are preserved in the clast,” Professor Caldwell said. ..."
About 150 million years ago (Late Jurassic epoch), Myanmar was joined to Australia, Antarctica, Africa and South America, forming the supercontinent Gondwana.
Through continental drift, Myanmar eventually separated from Gondwana and drifted north, until it collided with Asia.
(Excerpt) Read more at sci-news.com ...
Thanks ETL.
Did the snake have a birth certificate unlike some people don’t have to prove his age?
At least the snake had some skin in the game. /rimshot
KILL IT! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!
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