Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Vidal N
PROVIDER: S-EPMC1810015 | biostudies-literature | 2004 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Proceedings. Biological sciences 20040501
Biologists have debated the origin of snakes since the nineteenth century. One hypothesis suggests that snakes are most closely related to terrestrial lizards, and reduced their limbs on land. An alternative hypothesis proposes that snakes are most closely related to Cretaceous marine lizards, such as mosasaurs, and reduced their limbs in water. A presumed close relationship between living monitor lizards, believed to be close relatives of the extinct mosasaurs, and snakes has bolstered the mari ...[more]