Snakes originated on land

Adam Khor

Not the sea as has been previously suggested.

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/science-origin-evolution-snakes-02819.html



But I don´t know why this is surprising considering there's quite a few lizard and amphisbaenian species today that are in the process of losing their limbs too, and none of them is marine.

Fathom

Where did sea snakes originate? Land?

Adam Khor

Yes, like all sea reptiles, they come from terrestrial ancestors, in this case semi-aquatic elapids (cobra family). One genus of sea snake (Laticauda) is still able to slither, and returns to land to mate and lay its eggs. Apparently these sea snakes can even climb small trees.

Capt'n Midnight

Fathom wrote: »

Where did sea snakes originate? Land?

What a stupid question. They evolved in the air where they learned to wiggle in a swimming fashion :P

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMs8Cu8PNKM

Linnaeus

According to Genesis, the proto-snake (a legged one, imagine that) first appeared in the Garden of Eden! Well, so much for the Creationist point of view. All jesting aside, now, it DOES seem logical that most if not all snakes are descended from limbed reptiles. Why they should have evolved into legless creatures is an enigma. To acquire greater speed, perhaps? But is slithering always preferable to running? Yes, maybe, if their legs were too short and feeble to allow them any great degree of velocity...But not having legs enables modern snakes to twine around tree trunks, to crush their prey in a fatal boa hug...Also some prehistoric amphibian species, originally legged, either lost their limbs altogether or had them drastically reduced...almost atrophied...in the evolutionary process.

Capt'n Midnight

Linnaeus wrote: »

Why they should have evolved into legless creatures is an enigma. To acquire greater speed, perhaps? But is slithering always preferable to running? Yes, maybe, if their legs were too short and feeble to allow them any great degree of velocity...But not having legs enables modern snakes to twine around tree trunks, to crush their prey in a fatal boa hug...Also some prehistoric amphibian species, originally legged, either lost their limbs altogether or had them drastically reduced...almost atrophied...in the evolutionary process.

Most predators are bigger than their prey. And most of the ones that aren't hunt in packs. So if you are hunting small prey through undergrowth and tunnels and you want to increase your mass have to get longer, like stoats and pine martins. Also eels.

Then there's the whole thing about fish evolving stronger fins to push through reeds and eventually they became legs.

Adam Khor

It makes one wonder if some mustelids such as weasels or stoats, should they survive humans, would one day lose their limbs completely and specialize on chasing rodents underground... after all, at least one prehistoric mammal is believed to have become limbless as an adaptation to a subterranean lifestyle (even if it can´t be proven with the currently known remains, apparently...)

Check out the marbled polecat for example (whose scientific name means "small worm"). It's legs are amazingly short for its size:

Linnaeus

Interesting observations, Capt'n Midnight and Adam. Slithering can have advantages.

The marbled polecat is a mammal I'd not heard of before. I think it's probably retained its limbs, which are certainly rather rudimentary, simply for the purpose of grasping its prey, as most mammal predators do. But who knows? Such animals, with further evolution, may indeed turn into slithery legless creatures.

Adam, please post info about that prehistoric mammal which possibly became limbless in its adaptation to a subterranean lifestyle...This is intriguing.

Adam Khor

It is called Proterix, you can easily find info online about it

Rubecula

Slow Worms (Anguis fragilis) look like snakes but in fact are lizards. So loss of limbs is a multi species evolutionary adaptation. It really must have some good survival traits. And surely hunting under ground is not the only one.

Capt'n Midnight

serpentine motion also works for swimming