Name:
Pachyrhachis (Greek for "thick ribs"); pronounced PACK-ee-RAKE-iss
Habitat:
Rivers and lakes of the Middle East
Historical Period:
Early Cretaceous (130-120 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 3 feet long and 1-2 pounds
Diet:
Fish
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Long, snake-like body; small hind legs
About Pachyrhachis:
There wasn't one single, identifiable moment when the first prehistoric lizard evolved into the first prehistoric snake; the best paleontologists can do is identify intermediate forms. And as far as intermediate forms go, Pachyrhachis is a doozy: this marine reptile possessed an unmistakably snake-like body, complete with scales, as well as a python-like head, the only giveaway being the pair of nearly vestigial hind limbs a few inches from the end of its tail. The early Cretaceous Pachyrhachis seems to have led an exclusively marine lifestyle; unusually, its fossil remains were discovered in the Ramallah region of modern-day Israel. (Oddly enough, the two other genera of prehistoric snakes possessing vestigial hind limbs--Eupodophis and Haasiophis--were also discovered in the Middle East.)
