#pachyrhachis

[paleoart]

Pachyrhachis problematicus was a marine snake with well-developed hind legs that lived in the warm waters of the Middle East during the Late Cretaceous. Although it’s certainly an early snake, its exact position in the family tree is debated; some researchers point it as a link between marine lizards (like the ancestors of mosasaurs) and snakes, while proponents of the terrestrial origin for snakes believe it represents an early radiation of longbois leaving land for the sea.

Basically a swimming noodle with feetsies.

The step-by-step process of this illustration can be seen on my Patreon.

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[252mya]

Pachyrhachis problematicus

Artwork by Julio Lacerda / @paleoart

This legged marine snake was found with a hip, knee, and ankle joint. Pachyrhachis is considered an important fossil, since snakes were thought to have first evolved on land and not underwater.

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252MYA creates custom-made artwork for private collections and editorial, scientific, or educational project.

[kelpgull]

Paleovember Set 5 21-Tiktaalik 22-Simosuchus 23-Leedsichthys 24-Struthiomimus(Free/Break) 25-Pachyrhachis

[wojojojo]

It never fails to cheer me up that the first known snake had little baby legs

[palaeopedia]

The thick Ribs, Pachyrhachis (1979)

Phylum : Chordata Class : Reptilia Subclass : Diapsida Order : Squamata Suborder : Serpentes Family : Simoliophiidae Genus : Pachyrhachis Species : P. problematicus

Early Cretaceous (130 - 120 Ma)

1 m long and 3 kg (size)

West Bank, Israel (map)

There wasn't one single, identifiable moment when the first prehistoric lizard evolved into the first prehistoric snake; the best paleontologists can do is identify intermediate forms. And as far as intermediate forms go, Pachyrhachis is a doozy: this marine reptile possessed an unmistakably snake-like body, complete with scales, as well as a python-like head, the only giveaway being the pair of nearly vestigial hind limbs a few inches from the end of its tail. The early Cretaceous Pachyrhachis seems to have led an exclusively marine lifestyle; unusually, its fossil remains were discovered in the Ramallah region of modern-day Israel.