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A 95-million-year-old marine lizard with minuscule front legs may shed new light on the evolution of modern reptiles, particularly snakes, scientists have reported.
The fossilized remains of the reptile represent the earliest known example of a lizard evolving toward a limbless state, according to experts who described the new species.
The creature's vestigial, or no longer functional, forelimbs barely protrude from its long, snakelike body.
Although its rear legs were of normal size, researchers said the lizard was probably an eel-like swimmer that spent little time on land.
Michael Caldwell, of the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, led the team that made the discovery. He said the lizard, dubbed Adriosaurus microbrachis or "small-armed Adriosaurus," belongs to the lizard group most closely related to snakes.
