Breugnathair elgolensis, 167 Million Years OldImage Credit: National Museums Scotland / Brennan Stokkermans via Popular Science
A remarkable fossil discovered on the Isle of Skye in Scotland is changing the way scientists understand about the evolution of snakes and lizards . The species, called Breugnathair elgolensis, lived about 167 million years ago and had a mix of lizard and snake features. Its long, curved jaws look like a snake’s, but it still had a lizard-like body with fully formed legs, which reveal its repilian ancestry.
This shows that snakes didn’t evolve in a straight line. Early reptiles tried out different body shapes before developing the features we see in snakes today. Scientists have put this species in a new family, Parviraptoridae, which was previously known only from small, incomplete fossils.
Using CT scans and X-rays, researchers could see details that regular examination wouldn’t show. The discovery gives a new glimpse into how snakes slowly evolved and shows how complicated evolution can be.
Reference:
Benson, R. B. J., Walsh, S., Evans, S., et al. (2025). A new Jurassic reptile with snake-like jaws and lizard-like limbs. Nature, 618, 123-130. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09566-https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09566-y