Dinosaurs evolved into some of the largest animals ever to walk the Earth, but a new mathematical model suggests that early mammals may have crowded them out of the ecological niches reserved for the smallest creatures.

The post Why Were There No Tiny Non-Avian Dinosaurs? Mammals May Have Been to Blame appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

Exceptionally preserved Brazilian fossil reveals early snakes explored several habitats. More than 4,000 snake species live today, yet the evolutionary path that produced their elongated, limbless bodies remains difficult to reconstruct. Snakes are highly modified lizards, but their limited fossil record has left one of evolutionary biology’s central questions unresolved. Scientists have long debated whether [...]

Paleontologists have unearthed a remarkably preserved fossil snake in Brazil that is reshaping ideas about how the earliest snakes lived and complicating the long-running debate over whether their ancestors burrowed underground, swam in the sea or crawled the surface.

The post Did Early Snakes Burrow, Swim or Crawl? 80‑Million‑Year‑Old Fossil Suggests: All Three appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

A hidden wave of fungal disease and lung parasites is putting wild rattlesnakes and other native snakes at risk. Snake populations around the world are under increasing pressure from habitat loss, disease, and other environmental challenges. Among the diseases drawing the most concern is ophidiomycosis, commonly known as snake fungal disease, which is caused by [...]