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Fachini TS, Onary S, Palci A, Lee MS, Bronzati M, Hsiou AS. Cretaceous Blind Snake from Brazil Fills Major Gap in Snake Evolution. iScience 2020; 23:101834. [PMID: 33305189 PMCID: PMC7718481 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Blind snakes (Scolecophidia) are minute cryptic snakes that diverged at the base of the evolutionary radiation of modern snakes. They have a scant fossil record, which dates back to the Upper Paleocene-Lower Eocene (∼56 Ma); this late appearance conflicts with molecular evidence, which suggests a much older origin for the group (during the Mesozoic: 160–125 Ma). Here we report a typhlopoid blind snake from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil, Boipeba tayasuensis gen. et sp. nov, which extends the scolecophidian fossil record into the Mesozoic and reduces the fossil gap predicted by molecular data. The new species is estimated to have been over 1 m long, much larger than typical modern scolecophidians (<30 cm). This finding sheds light on the early evolution of blind snakes, supports the hypothesis of a Gondwanan origin for the Typhlopoidea, and indicates that early scolecophidians had large body size, and only later underwent miniaturization. Boipeba tayasuensis is the oldest fossil blind snake from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil A new phylogenetic analysis places the taxon within living typhlopoids Boipeba is estimated to be ∼1 m in length, larger than any living blind snake The small body size of extant blind snakes is due to subsequent miniaturization
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Schineider Fachini
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Corresponding author
| | - Silvio Onary
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
- Corresponding author
| | - Alessandro Palci
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Michael S.Y. Lee
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia
- South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Mario Bronzati
- Laboratório de Evolução e Biologia Integrativa, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Annie Schmaltz Hsiou
- Laboratório de Paleontologia, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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