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Tetrapodophis: The 120 million-year-old four-footed snake-discovery and controversy
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In 2015, a fossil unearthed in a German museum collection set the world abuzz. The specimen, Tetrapodophis amplectus, Latin for "four-footed snake," was hailed as the first documented four-limbed snake.
If confirmed, it would be a landmark item of evolutionary history, filling in the gap between early lizards and contemporary snakes. Though the find has since been clouded with scientific controversy and legal entanglement, questioning not just evolutionary theory but ethics involved in fossil acquisition as well. (
source: Wikipedia
)
A unique fossil, like no other
Approximately 20 centimeters in length, Tetrapodophis's fossil contains more than 150 vertebrae, a truncated tail, and a snake-like elongated body.
The novel aspects of the fossil were its minute but intact fore- and hindlimbs, both with five digits, coupled with traits such as hooked teeth, a flexible skull, and prey remains in its stomach, indicating a carnivorous diet.
The fossil was published in the journal Science by Dr. David Martill and colleagues, who ruled out the possibility that it came from a marine reptile, concluding instead that it was direct evidence of how snakes evolved from burrowing lizards.
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Undo
Tetrapodophis is estimated to have existed between 113 and 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous, according to Martill, and was probably suited to living on land.
Scientific evidence suggests
While the early excitement was palpable, however, most within the field of paleontology questioned the fossil's categorization. In 2016 and once more in 2021, paleontologist Dr. Michael Caldwell of the University of Alberta spearheaded the re-examination of the specimen.
His research group contended that Tetrapodophis did not possess several central anatomical features common in true snakes.
Among the features being questioned were the skull's structure, which did not have the movable joints and cranial kinesis characteristic of snakes; the vertebrae, which did not show the articulations characteristic of snakes and fossils; and the limb and rib morphology in general, which was similar to that of aquatic lizards called dolichosaurs.
What humongous secrets science can uncover is truly fascinating.
Caldwell and others suggested that the specimen had been incorrectly identified and was a member of the family Dolichosauridae, an extinct group of marine reptiles more closely related to mosasaurs than to early snakes.
The scientific controversy served to illustrate a long-standing debate in paleontology: did snakes evolve from terrestrial lizards or from marine ancestors? Tetrapodophis became the center of this broader question.
Legal disputes over a fossil? Know why
Complicating matters was the dodgy provenance of the fossil. It was in a German private collection, but it was thought by many to have come from the Crato Formation in northeastern Brazil a place famous for its Early Cretaceous fossils.
Brazil strictly prohibits the unauthorized exportation of fossils as national heritage. The release of the 2015 paper attracted severe criticism from Brazilian paleontologists and authorities, who argued that the fossil was exported illegally from the country.
The controversy triggered further debate concerning the morality of fossil collection and the role of academic journals in ensuring specimens are legal.
In 2024, following years of diplomatic pressure, the owners of the fossil consented to the repatriation of Tetrapodophis to Brazil. It was subsequently moved to the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro, where it will be examined further by Brazilian scientists.
Update?
Up to 2025, there has been no scientific agreement on Tetrapodophis's actual classification.
A 2023 reclassification in the group of stem-snakes—animals that constitute a common ancestor with the contemporary snakes but belong outside the group has yet to convince most scientists, as they argue the necessity of further fossil records and adult specimens.
The case of Tetrapodophis remains unresolved, not only as a paleontological puzzle but also as a case study in ethics, international law, and the evolving nature of science itself.
It reminds us of the dramatic and sometimes contentious interaction between science, law, and heritage. More significantly, it reminds us of how a single fossil can disprove long-held theories, invoke global legal action, and realign the global debate on scientific accountability.
