Palaeontologists have found a tiny fossilized baby snake, the first of its kind to be discovered. The snake embryo, sitting within a chunk of amber from Myanmar, was preserved in the early Late Cretaceous period approximately 99 million years ago, according to research published in Science Advances on Wednesday. SEE ALSO: Giant, newly discovered dinosaur was literally a huge weirdo It's a new species that's been named Xiaophis myanmarensis by the 11 authors , the first Mesozoic snake to be found in a forested environment, which the study's authors believe indicates a greater ecological diversity in early snakes than previously thought. (left) the snake skeleton within the amber. (middle) a dorsal view of skeleton, synchrotron x-ray micro–computed tomography image. (right) a ventral view of the skeleton.Image: science advancesThe unique little snake fossil, according to the report, is an articulated post-cranial skeleton (everything but the skull) and sits at just 47.5 m
