CASPER, Wyo. — A snake fossil recently discovered in Wyoming and dated at tens of millions of years old has led to new insights into the evolution and diversification of boas and pythons.
The newly discovered species, named Hibernophis breithaupti, lived in North America 34 million years ago. It was found by scientists in a burrow in western Wyoming where four fossilized creatures were found intertwined.
According to a scientific report credited to the University of Alberta, researchers believe the species may be an early member of Booidea, a group that includes modern boas and pythons. Not much has been known about the early evolutionary history of the boa, but the recently unearthed fossils provide some new context, especially on the evolution of small, burrowing boas called rubber boas.
The report states that the Hibernophis breithaupti discovery indicates that northern and central parts of North America might have been a key hub for the animals’ development. The way the snakes curled together also suggests that they underwent brumation — similar to hibernation — in groups.
The unearthed snakes could potentially represent one of the earliest documented cases of group brumation among snakes, a practice now common in the species.
“Modern garter snakes are famous for gathering by the thousands to brumate together in dens and burrows,” University of Alberta professor Michael Caldwell said in the report.
Caldwell co-led the research along with former graduate student Jasmine Croghan and collaborators from Australia and Brazil.
