We are all scared of snakes. Have you ever wondered how these animals move about without legs? Snakes have descended from lizards. In fact, they evolved from lizards millions of years ago. Scientists are still not certain regarding the group of lizards from which snakes evolved. We depend on fossils to study evolution and sometimes a snake does not make a good fossil. They leave only pieces of backbone and the odd skull in poor conditions.
The most primitive living snakes lived underground by digging holes in the earth. Therefore, some scientists believe that snakes come from burrowing lizards, which had much reduced limbs. Others, on the other hand, think that snakes evolved in the sea.
Many scientists hold the view that lizards descend from a super family of non-burrowing lizards known as platynota. The Gila monster, beaded lizard and a poisonous lizard called Lanthanotus belong to this super family. Members of this family do have some features in common with the snakes. The backbone and the tongue of these lizards and the snakes are similar in shape. The two halves of the lower jaw are not firmly joined.
Therefore, lizards belonging to the super family platynota are regarded as the ‘great grandfathers’ of snakes.
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