# Brazil fossil shows ancient snakes occupied land, water and underground 2026-08-06T18:06:01+00:00 | Health & Science | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A three-dimensionally preserved snake fossil from Brazil has given scientists fresh evidence that early snakes occupied varied habitats. Named Tametara mirim, the 80-million-year-old specimen is the first articulated Cretaceous snake fossil found in Brazil, The Times of India reports. Its intact skull and skeleton allowed researchers to reconstruct the animal’s brain in unusual detail using computed tomography and 3D rendering. Published in Nature, the study found that Tametara’s brain shape and bone structure matched a burrowing lifestyle. Comparisons with the terrestrial Dinilysia patagonica, along with fossils from marine sediments, indicate that separate snake lineages were already adapted to underground, land and marine environments by the Late Cretaceous. The findings add evidence to a long-running debate over snake origins. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Brazil, evolution, fossils, palaeontology, snakes Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/brazil-fossil-shows-ancient-snakes-occupied-land-water-and-underground/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/brazil-fossil-shows-ancient-snakes-occupied-land-water-and-underground/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.