Four 38-million-year-old snakes unearthed together in Wyoming reveal new boa relative
Paleontologists have described a new early Oligocene snake species from four complete skeletons found together in a Wyoming burrow, offering rare insight into ancient boa relatives.
In the early Oligocene rocks of Wyoming’s White River Formation, scientists uncovered four complete snake skeletons, three of which were found coiled within a single burrow-like deposit and a fourth from a separate locality. Detailed analysis led to the identification of a previously unknown species, Hibernophis breithaupti, which appears to be a sister group to all other booid snakes. The researchers employed CT scanning and comparative anatomy to describe the skull and vertebral features, providing a rare full-body view of an ancient snake.
The close packing of the three individuals has been interpreted as a potential hibernaculum, hinting at communal sheltering, though the authors caution that behavior cannot be confirmed. Volcanic ash, mud and floodwater likely facilitated the exceptional preservation. Findings were published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, expanding knowledge of early boa evolution in North America.
Why it matters
The discovery gives scientists a complete look at an ancient snake, improving understanding of snake evolution and early boa relatives.
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