Overview
- A University of Cambridge–led paper published December 1 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology reports that anacondas established their large body size about 12.4 million years ago.
- Researchers measured 183 fossilized vertebrae representing at least 32 snakes from Falcón State, Venezuela, supplemented by additional South American records.
- Length estimates indicate ancient anacondas averaged 4–5 meters (13–17 feet), essentially matching modern sizes, with no evidence for larger Miocene specimens despite warmer climates.
- Ancestral state reconstruction on a snake family tree independently corroborated the vertebra-based size estimates.
- The team links long-term gigantism to a semi-aquatic lifestyle, a generalist diet, and persistent wetland habitats, while warning that climate change and deforestation threaten those ecosystems today.