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Archaeology News: 167 million-year-old enigma: scientists explore the 'false snake of Elgol's unique traits

167 million-year-old enigma: scientists explore the 'false snake of Elgol's unique traits

The new species looked like a lizard with a short body and four limbs but had snake-like jaws and curved teeth like pythons, showing a mix of traits from both lizards and snakes.

By Jerusalem Post Staff, October 10, 2025

https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-869884

An early ancestor of both snakes and lizards? (photo credit: National Museums Scotland © Brennan Stokkermans)

The discovery of the fossilized remains of Breugnathair elgolensis, a new species of extinct lizard, marks an important milestone in the study of prehistoric life. Announced on October 1st, researchers Stig Walsh and his colleagues, reporting in the journal Nature, unveiled their find from the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Dating back 167 million years to the Jurassic period, the fossil presented one of the most complete lizard specimens from this era.

The 2016 discovery, attributed to Stig Walsh of the National Museum of Scotland, initially met with intrigue. During a research expedition on the Isle of Skye, known for its rich fossil deposits, Walsh unearthed what appeared to be a strange yet scientifically valuable find. The area houses ancient branches of the lizard family tree and provides crucial insights into the evolutionary history of many groups, including the elusive lineage of snakes.

Breugnathair elgolensis, meaning "false snake of Elgol" and derived from the Gaelic language used in the region, is named to reflect its peculiar blend of traits. This species resembles a lizard with a short body and well-developed four limbs. Yet, it also had snake-like jaws and curved teeth akin to modern pythons, combining features of both lizards and snakes, as reported by Kompas.

The fossil's unique attributes prompted researchers to assign Breugnathair elgolensis to a new family called Parviraptoridae. As the most complete known example from this group, it might include some of the earliest ancestors of snakes. The finding opens a window into understanding the evolutionary paths bridging snakes and lizards, indicating that these two, which seem distinct today, shared a much closer evolutionary past. The Parviraptoridae family was previously known only from scattered fossil fragments, and this discovery provides insights into its early evolutionary history.

Analyses of Breugnathair elgolensis suggested it was a formidable predator in its era, likely preying on smaller lizards, early mammals, and possibly young herbivorous dinosaurs like heterodontosaurids. This predator utilized its curved, snakelike teeth and jaw structure to capture its food, hinting at complex predatory habits among early reptiles.

The fossil, unearthed from a coastal rock formation in the Elgol area, may support a European origin for squamate reptiles. Snakes and lizards are classified under the squamate group, and the discovery may shift perspectives on the origins of snakes. "Breugnathair is either a lizard-like ancestor of snakes, or it belongs to a more primitive group of lizards that independently developed snake-like characteristics," said Roger Benson from the American Museum of Natural History, according to Asriran. Benson suggested that these curiosities add to the puzzle of early squamate evolution, conveying shared primitive characteristics with both ancient and some modern species.

The complexity of Breugnathair elgolensis' anatomy points to divergent evolutionary trajectories that may have characterized ancient reptiles, a point emphasized by Susan Evans, co-director of the study. "The mosaic of primitive and specialized traits we observe in parviraptorids is a sample of the complexity of evolution," she remarked. The research, spanning nearly a decade, involved specialists from the American Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of Scotland, and University College London.

Utilizing imaging techniques, including computed tomography and high-energy X-rays at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, the team meticulously reconstructed the fossil. Insights gleaned from the study of Breugnathair elgolensis not only challenged previous assumptions about the evolution of reptiles but also underscored the importance of the Isle of Skye's fossil deposits in understanding the trajectory of many modern species, including lizards.

Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.