Gigantism In Anacondas Has Existed For 12 Million Years, As Seen In These Huge Backbone Fossils

A new study has reconstructed anacondas that lived in what’s now Venezuela 12 million years ago. The fossil vertebrae reveal that anacondas were giants back in the Middle to Upper Miocene and have stayed giant ever since, an unusual trend for life on Earth. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Most animals that lived between 12.4 to 5.3 million years ago have gotten smaller over time in response to environmental changes. Back then the Earth was warmer, wetter, and full of food.

It was a period that gave rise to giants, like Purussaurus , a 12-meter (39.4-foot) caiman, and Stupendemys , a 3.2-meter (10.5-foot) freshwater turtle. Some giants got smaller, some – such as Purussaurus and Stupendemys – went extinct, but t