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May 1, 2006

Thoughts A-Slitherin'

Isn't it funny how just when you've been thinking about something, the topic pops up in the news?

Take snakes, for example. We just returned home from a lovely trip to Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. There are no snakes native to Hawaii, but we certainly saw lots of eels while snorkeling (see the one above). I'd always assumed that snakes were rather primitive (or at least older reptilian species compared to most creatures of the day) and that they had likely originated in the oceans in the forms of ancient eels. After all, most life originated in the oceans, and I generally consider land and freshwater species to be "newer" than most ocean critters.

It got me wondering why Hawaii would have eels but not snakes. Sure, the islands are quite remote, but still. It seems the perfect habitat for snakes to live - lots to eat, some parts desert, others rainforest. There are certainly snakes in the islands of Oceania and Southern Asia.

Upon returning home, I was catching up on my podcasts, including Nature's podcast. This science journal podcast covered a recent fossil finding that suggests that snakes as they are now may very well have originated from footed creatures on land, not from water serpents as many previously thought.

An ancient snake with hips connected to its spine might be proof that slithery serpents originated on land, not in the water, a new fossil find reveals.

The fossil snake—which has a primitive pelvis and robust, functional legs outside the ribcage—dates from about 90 million years ago.

...

The species, named Najash rionegrina, is the earliest limbed snake ever found in a fully terrestrial deposit

More at: National Geographic: Snakes Evolved on Land, New Fossil Find Suggests

Posted by sorsha at May 1, 2006 3:18 PM