Tetrapodophis

Name: Tetrapodophis ‭(‬four-footed snake‭)‬.
Phonetic: Tet-rah-pod-oh-fiss.
Named By: D.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Martill,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Tischlinger‭ & ‬N.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Longrich‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Ophidia.
Species: T.‭ ‬amplectus‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Holotype‭ ‬15‭ ‬centimetres long.
Known locations: Brazil‭ ‬-‭ ‬Crato Formation.
Time period: Aptian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Complete skeleton.

       Tetrapodophis is an interesting snake to say the least since it was the first snake genus known to still have all four legs to be named.‭ ‬For the most part these legs are on the border of being vestigial,‭ ‬yet still‭ ‬defined and‭ ‬functional enough to serve a gripping purpose.‭ ‬Tetrapodophis is also noted for having short neural spines,‭ ‬which may be an indication of an adaptation for burrowing.‭ ‬Altogether,‭ ‬Tetrapodophis has about one hundred and fifty vertebrae,‭ ‬which also shows that Tetrapodophis had evolved to kill prey animals by constricting.

Further reading
-‭ ‬A four-legged snake from the Early Cretaceous of Gondwana.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Science‭ ‬349:416-419.‭ ‬-‭ ‬D.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Martill,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Tischlinger‭ & ‬N.‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Longrich‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.
- Aquatic adaptations in the four limbs of the snake-like reptile Tetrapodophis from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil. - Cretaceous Research. 66: 194–199. - Michael S.Y. Lee, Alessandro Palci, Marc E.H. Jones, Michael W. Caldwell, James D.Holmes & Robert R.Reisz - 2016.
- Tetrapodophis amplectus (Crato Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Brazil) is not a snake. - Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 76th Annual Meeting Program & Abstracts: 108. - Michael W. Caldwell, Robert R. Reisz, Randall L. Nydam, Alessandro Palci & Tiago R. Simões - 2016.



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