Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Weird Snakelike Lizard Fossil Discovered

Ninety-five million years ago, this lizard crawled, or more accurately, semi-slithered on primeval ground. The reason is because this lizard, called Adriosaurus microbrachis (small-armed Adriosaurus), had stubby or verstigial forelimbs. Scientists speculate that it is the ancestor of modern snakes. The team that discovered the fossil was led by Michael Caldwell of the University of Alberta, in Edmonton. He says the find belongs to the same period when snakes with vestigial hind legs existed.

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