Tetrapodophis Amplectus Fossil Misclassified, Not The 'Missing Link' Between Prehistoric Snake and Modern Lizard

A new paleontological discovery about snakes has been unearthed after millions of years. The study's main interest is a fossil that was first thought to be the missing link between the first few snakes of the planet and the modern-day lizards. But according to the findings, the bridge between two distinct species did not have any substantial evidence that supports itself as the evolutionary junction of the distinct animals.

The fossil known as the Tetrapodophis amplectus or the 'snake with four legs' due to its features shows a strong resemblance between the prehistoric snakes and today's lizards. However, the named fossil was not a snake, according to the data gathered by the experts. Instead, it was identified as an ancient marine lizard with a long body and active limbs, contrasting the first scientific theory constructed over the species.

Four-Legged Snake 'Missing Link' Between Ancient Snakes and Lizards

(Photo : Ghedoghedo / WikiCommons)

University of Alberta's Department of Biological Sciences expert Michael Caldwell said in a report by UPI that the scientific community's view on the foundations of the snake group is that they were among the early collective of four-legged vertebrates. These specific vertebrates went through a complex evolutionary transition, losing their limbs in the process and transitioning into the snakes that our time currently has. Caldwell said that factual fossils of four-legged creatures significantly contribute to the evolutionary puzzles that are not yet answered.

Brazil obtained the first-ever paleontological finding over the creatures dubbed as the 'missing link.' The remains of the species were discovered to have existed way back 113 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. At about the same time, the Crato Formation was assembled in a wide region of South America.

Upon the discovery, the examination of the fossil convinced the scientists that the four-legged snake Tetrapodophis amplectus was possibly the answer to the transition between prehistoric snakes and the present-day lizards, which include several groups such as the ferocious alligators and crocodiles. But the years of research and advancement in paleontology history led some experts to question the findings, and this triggered a massive scientific debate over the snake-lizard evolution. To determine the truth behind the mystery, Caldwell and their colleagues examined the same fossil that was unearthed back in the first discovery, as well as the rocks that were embedded directly in the fossils.

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Tetrapodophis Amplectus NOT a Snake But a Marine Lizard

Caldwell said that the previous paper made from the discovery was only able to discuss the obvious features of the fossil, such as its skull. However, it missed the natural mold, which was not just perfectly preserved through time, but also included other substantial features of the species. According to the data from the mold, it was revealed that the Tetrapodophis amplectus did not have a similar skull structure when compared to both the modern-day snakes and their prehistoric ancestors.

The examinations conducted on the study revealed opposing data and mischaracterizations of the evolutionary and anatomical interpretations over Tetrapodophis. The research concluded that the Tetrapodophis amplectus presents a structure close to the marine lizards called dolichosaurs, and confirmed that they were misclassified as prehistoric snakes. The study titled "Tetrapodophis amplectus is not a snake: re-assessment of the osteology, phylogeny and functional morphology of an Early Cretaceous dolichosaurid lizard" was published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.