研究人员对发现于巴西东南部的8000万年前蛇类化石Tametara mirim进行了详细的脑部数字重建[1]。通过计算机断层扫描和三维重建技术，科学家们将其与另一具阿根廷化石蛇Dinilysia patagonica进行对比分析[1]。这项由普林斯顿大学助理教授Tiago Simões领导的研究表明，早期蛇类已经适应了地下、地面和海洋等多种生态环境，拥有不同的脑结构和感觉系统[1]。
研究成果挑战了蛇类沿单一进化路径发展的传统观点[1]。根据研究，Tametara mirim被推断适应穴居生活，而Dinilysia patagonica则适应地面生活[1]。研究人员指出："早期蛇类并非沿着单一进化路径发展，而是在地下、地面和海洋环境间反复移动"[1]。这一发现揭示了蛇类在进化早期就已展现出显著的生态和形态多样性。相关研究由赫尔辛基大学HiLIFE研究所、普林斯顿大学和圣保罗大学等机构合作完成，已于2026年发表在《自然》杂志上[1]。
Researchers have conducted a detailed digital reconstruction of the brain from an 80-million-year-old snake fossil discovered in southeastern Brazil, revealing that early snakes were far more ecologically diverse than previously thought.[1] The fossil, identified as Tametara mirim, was analyzed using computed tomography scanning and 3D digital reconstruction and compared with another fossilized snake, Dinilysia patagonica, from Argentina.[1] The findings show that early snakes had adapted to multiple environments—underground, terrestrial, and marine—each developing distinct brain structures and sensory systems suited to their specific habitats.[1]
The research, led by Tiago Simões, an assistant professor at Princeton University, challenges the traditional view that snakes followed a single evolutionary pathway.[1] According to Nicolas Di-Poï, one of the researchers, "Early snakes did not evolve along a single evolutionary route, but repeatedly moved between underground, terrestrial, and marine environments."[1] The study indicates that Tametara mirim was adapted to a burrowing lifestyle, while Dinilysia patagonica was suited for life on the ground.[1] The research was published in Nature and was conducted by teams from Princeton University, the University of Helsinki's HiLIFE Institute, and the University of São Paulo.[1]