Reptiles are as big as dogs, with venom before snakes appear

Researchers have recently discovered mammal-like reptiles, which are about the same size as dogs, have venom earlier than snakes.

Daily Mail led sources from researchers at Witwatersrand University, Johannesburgm South Africa, said Euchambersia is a reptile living 260 million years ago. They have a width of 40-50cm, equivalent to a dog.

Euchambersia picture sketch.

Euchambersia lived in Karroo, near Colesberg, South Africa in the Permo-Triassic period, before the dinosaur era.

Unlike snakes that inject venom directly through the needle groove in the tooth, Euchambersia's venom is transmitted to the victim through grooves and small channels that run along the outside of the fangs.

Based on Euchambersia's two-skull CT scans, scientists found a deep and round hole behind the canines, which could be the venom for venom production.

Euchambersia's skull section has deep holes behind the canines, which may be the venom for venom production.

Julien Benoit, a researcher at Bernard Price Institute, at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, who led the study, said: "This is the first evidence of the oldest venom vertebrate found, and also More amazing is that it does not belong to the species we still think. "

Today, snakes are famous for venomous bites, but their fossils only appeared 167 million years ago. It can be said that Euchambersia has owned snake venom for hundreds of millions of years, before the first snakes were born, Benoit added.

Researchers can analyze venom glands because of the artifacts they have not fossilized. The researchers described the anatomical structure of this unique venom production of the Euchambersia species in the journal POLS ONE.

Euchambersia's mechanism of transmitting venom to prey is completely different from snake.

The team is not sure why Euchambersia has developed the ability to produce venom. But they say that venom can help Euchambersia defend and hunt.

"Euchambersia can use venom to defend itself and hunt, like today's poisonous creatures," Dr. Benoit said.

More and more mammals or reptiles are similar to venomous mammals discovered over the years. They believe that mammals once had venom millions of years ago but have gradually lost this ability.

Some genes decided that the formation of the venom was later activated, causing some species to become poisonous, the team explained.