Fossils unearthed within the Kutch area of Gujarat have led researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee to imagine they might have belonged to one of many largest snakes recognized to have existed. The discovery was made on the Panandhro Lignite Mine, the place 27 vertebrae from a snake’s spinal column had been discovered, some nonetheless related, indicating they had been from a fully-grown specimen. This snake, now recognized as belonging to the extinct madtsoiidae household, is estimated to have reached lengths of between 11 and 15 meters.
The madtsoiidae snakes had been widespread, with their presence recorded in Africa, Europe, and India. The analysis means that this explicit species represents a singular lineage that originated in India and unfold to southern Europe and Africa throughout the Eocene epoch, roughly 56 to 34 million years in the past. This interval can also be vital for the emergence of the primary ancestors and shut relations of contemporary mammals.
The fossils have been dated again to the Middle Eocene, round 47 million years in the past. The researchers have named this new species Vasuki Indicus (V. Indicus), after the legendary snake related to the Hindu deity Shiva, additionally paying homage to its Indian origins. Their research has been printed within the journal Scientific Reports.
The dimensions of V. Indicus’ vertebrae vary from 38 to 62 millimeters in size and 62 to 111 millimeters in width, suggesting it had a broad, cylindrical physique. By extrapolating these measurements, researchers estimate V. Indicus might have been between 10.9 and 15.2 meters lengthy. This measurement locations it compared with the Titanoboa, beforehand thought of the longest snake species, which lived roughly 60 million years in the past and was found in present-day Colombia throughout the 2000s.
Given its appreciable measurement, V. Indicus may need been a slow-moving ambush predator, akin to trendy anacondas. This discovery not solely provides a major chapter to our understanding of prehistoric life but in addition highlights India’s wealthy paleontological heritage.
