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What are the ancestors of snakes?

2023-12-14 15:40:26 173

Snakes are reptiles and they originate from ancient reptiles. Modern snakes are classified as reptiles in the order Reptiles. Specifically, snakes are classified as squamous reptiles, which are closely related to lizards, crocodiles, etc.

In the course of evolution, the ancestors of snakes were animals similar to lizards. Based on fossil records and genetic studies, scientists believe snakes originated as limbed reptiles and later lost their limbs during evolution. This process likely took place over thousands of years, with natural selection gradually dominating those snakes with gene expression patterns more suited to life without limbs.

Therefore, from an evolutionary perspective, the ancestors of snakes can be traced back to early reptiles with four limbs, and these animals are closely related to modern snakes in their evolutionary history.


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