Hips in Fossil Indicate Snakes Evolved on Land

A fossil of a primitive snake with hips has led scientists to believe that snakes probably evolved on land, not in the sea.

The fossil, which dates back to the Late Cretaceous period more than 65 million years ago, indicates that snakes probably originated as burrowing land animals with legs adapted for digging or crawling, according to a report in Thursday’s issue of the journal Nature.

The new find, named Najash rionegrina, was made in Patagonia, Argentina. The fossil “retains several primitive features absent in any known fossil or recent snake, including a remarkably primitive pelvis,” according to the study.