Ancient 'Invisible' Predator Snake Unveiled in England After Decades in Museum

• A new ancient snake species, Paradoxophidion richardoweni, identified from 37-million-year-old fossils found in Hordle Cliff, England.
• Fossils, previously overlooked for decades in a museum, were analyzed using CT scans to create a 3D digital model of 31 vertebrae.
• The snake is considered a crucial early link to modern caenophidian snakes, displaying a unique blend of evolutionary traits.
• Named after Sir Richard Owen, the discovery highlights England's warmer Eocene past and the potential of re-examining museum collections.
• Estimated under one meter, its vertebrae resemble Elephant Trunk Snakes, but its lifestyle (e.g., aquatic) remains unknown without a skull.

Why It Matters: Decades-old museum fossils reveal a 37-million-year-old snake, crucial for understanding modern snake evolution.