47 million year old fossil: Researchers from Frankfurt solve the mystery

Created: 11/14/2022, 8:00 p.m

By: Vincent Bussow

Viviparous snakes existed 47 million years ago.

This is shown by a fossil from the Messel pit.

The find is unique in the world, said the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt.

Frankfurt – The Messel Pit is always good for a surprise.

Researchers recently made another significant find at the excavation site, as the Senckenberg Nature Research Society in Frankfurt announced on Monday (November 14).

"We have now succeeded in describing the world's first fossil of a viviparous snake," said Krister Smith of the research institute.

The fossil is 47 million years old.

fnp.de reported on the find.

Messelophis variatus is the name of the 50 centimeter long snake discovered by a German-Argentine research team.

The species is one of the most common snakes found in the Messel Pit.

Nevertheless, the specimen "surprised", said Dr.

Mariana Chuliver, from the Fundación de Historia Natural in Buenos Aires.

Bones of snake embryos were discovered in the mother's body.

In most cases, the offspring of reptiles grow in eggs.

However, there are exceptions.

According to the Senckenberg Society in Frankfurt, the bones of embryos in the fossil of a snake should prove that viviparous reptiles existed 47 million years ago.

©Senckenberg

Senckenberg Society in Frankfurt: Big find in the Messel pit

Live birth is a good evolutionary strategy for reptiles in cold climates, the Frankfurt-based society said.

The reason for this is the more stable and therefore safer temperature in the body of the female.

However, that does not yet explain the find in the Messel pit, since an average temperature of around 20 degrees is said to have prevailed here 47 million years ago.

The research team is now hoping for more discoveries to solve this mystery.

Just recently, a "bizarre" find in the Messel pit caused a stir.

A new species of insect caused astonished looks among the experts.

(vbu with dpa)