This strange ancient snake was hiding in a museum for decades
A strange little snake fossil found on England’s south coast has finally revealed its secrets—more than 40 years after it was discovered. The newly named Paradoxophidion richardoweni lived around 37 million years ago, during a time when Britain was warmer and teeming with reptiles. Though known only from tiny backbone bones, this “paradox snake” carries a surprising mix of traits seen in modern snakes, placing it near the very roots of today’s most diverse snake group.
An extinct snake is finally getting its moment in the spotlight, more than 40 years after its fossils were first found.
Scientists have now identified those bones as a brand new species called Paradoxophidion richardoweni, and it could help explain where today's most "advanced" snakes came from.
In 1981, researchers uncovered a set of ancient snake backbones at Hordle Cliff on England's south coast. For decades, the remains sat in collections. Now they have been recognized as the vertebrae of a previously unknown snake.
A study published in the journal Comptes Rendus Palevol reports that the vertebrae belong to Paradoxophidion richardoweni. The snake lived about 37 million years ago, during a time when England supported a far greater variety of snakes than it does today.
A new fossil snake with clues to modern lineages
Even though scientists only have parts of the spine, the discovery could shed light on the early evolution of the largest group of living snakes. That is because Paradoxophidion appears to be an early branching member of the caenophidians, the group that includes most snake species alive today.
Because it sits so close to the beginning of caenophidian history, the snake shows an unusual blend of traits that are now scattered across different modern snake groups. That patchwork is reflected in its genus name. Paradoxophidion means 'paradox snake' in Greek.
The species name honors Sir Richard Owen. He named the first fossil snakes discovered at Hordle Cliff, and he also played a major role in creating what is now the Natural History Museum, where these fossils are housed.
Lead author Dr. Georgios Georgalis, from the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, says describing a new species from museum collections was 'a dream come true'.
"It was my childhood dream to be able to visit the Natural History Museum, let alone do research there," reveals Georgios. "So, when I saw these very weird vertebrae in the collection and knew that they were something new, it was a fantastic feeling."
"It's especially exciting to have described an early diverging caenophidian snake, as there's not that much evidence about how they emerged. Paradoxophidion brings us closer to understanding how this happened."
Hordle Cliff and England's warmer Eocene past
Hordle Cliff, near Christchurch on England's south coast, preserves fossils from the Eocene, a stretch of time from about 56 to 34 million years ago.
Dr. Marc Jones, a curator of fossil reptiles and amphibians who co authored the research, notes that the Eocene was marked by major climate shifts worldwide.
"Around 37 million years ago, England was much warmer than it is now," Marc explains. "Though the Sun was very slightly dimmer, levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide were much higher."