The asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs led to the prosperity of snakes
The snakes owe their success in part to the impact of an asteroid that destroyed the dinosaurs. A study by scientists from the University of Bath in the UK is published in the journal Nature Communicationsvolume .
The asteroid impact led to global destruction, most of the animals and plants became extinct. According to various experts, 76% of plants and living organisms have disappeared.
However, a handful of surviving snakes of several species were able to thrive in the post-apocalyptic world, hiding underground and without food for a long time. A small number of reptiles was enough to spread throughout the world in the following periods of the planet's development and reach a population that today numbers more than three thousand species.
“In this environment of decaying food webs, snakes are able to survive and thrive. And they are able to colonize new continents and interact in new ways with their habitat, “- said study author Catherine Klein.
Experts noted that if it were not for the asteroid, it is not known whether the snakes managed to take their current position in the animal kingdom. With a little competition, the reptiles were able to reproduce without hindrance and conquer new continents.
The study showed that all snakes living at the moment have the roots of those species that survived the impact with the asteroid. The modern variety of species, including tree snakes, sea snakes, venomous vipers and cobras, boas and pythons, did not appear until after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.
Sharks were not affected by the mass extinction 66 million years ago. Swedish scientists conducted a study to find out how they managed to outlast other predators and large marine reptiles.
