Ancient snake found in a London museum appears unlike any known species

Researchers identified Paradoxophidion richardoweni from 31 vertebrae collected at Hordle Cliff in 1981 and archived at London's Natural History Museum; the fossils are about 37 million years old and show a mix of features not matching any single known snake lineage.

Researchers have identified a previously unrecognized species of ancient snake from fossils kept in a London museum drawer. The remains were named Paradoxophidion richardoweni in a paper published in Comptes Rendus Palevol and consist of 31 small vertebrae collected at Hordle Cliff on England's south coast in 1981. The bones were archived at the Natural History Museum in London and were later reexamined by Dr. Georgios Georgalis of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The material lacks a skull and does not show obvious adaptations for burrowing, climbing, or swimming, so its lifestyle is unclear. What scientists report: - The species description is based on 31 tiny vertebrae and no skull material. - The fossils were collected at Hordle Cliff in 1981 and later archived at the Natural History Museum in London. - The study describing the specimen appears in Comptes Rendus Palevol and characterizes the vertebrae as unusual. - The vertebrae combine features now seen in different snake groups, making it difficult to place the specimen within an existing family. - The remains are estimated to be about 37 million years old. Summary: The discovery highlights that long-held museum collections can contain understudied specimens with the potential to change aspects of scientific understanding. Researchers report that the mix of traits prevents a confident placement: it might represent an early branch of snake evolution, an early member of an aquatic lineage, or a lineage that is now extinct. Undetermined at this time.