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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

A mini-snake in amber is the oldest — and youngest — ever found

Specimen dating to 99 million years ago is the first known fossil of a baby snake.
Artists rendering of snakes recently emerged from their eggs

A Cretaceous-era snake (artist’s rendering) had either just emerged into the world or was still an embryo when engulfed by amber almost 100 million years ago. Credit: Cheung Chung Tat

A small, dark squiggle inside an ancient chunk of amber is the world’s oldest known baby snake.

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Nature 559, 447 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-05742-5

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