Thursday, 16 February 2017

Jaw canals reveal dog-sized reptile to be the earliest venomous land vertebrate

Euchambersia measured between 40 and 50 cm (16 and 20 in) long

Since its discovery in the 1930s, questions have remained over whether or not the Euchambersia, a dog-sized pre-mammalian reptile that lived in South Africa, was venomous. If so, its existence 260 million years ago would make it the earliest known venomous land vertebrae, pre-dating snakes by around 100 million years. South African researchers are claiming to have ended the debate once and for all, with new CT scans of Euchambersia fossils revealing it did in fact have anatomical features designed for venom production.

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Category: Biology

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