The discovery of the world's largest snake has important implications for our understanding of the evolution of global climate. The snake, a relative of the boa constrictor, was 13 metres long and would have weighed more than a tonne. It lived in tropical South America around 60 million years ago. A snake this size would have required mean annual temperatures between 30–34 °C, higher than the tropics today.
- Jason J. Head
- Jonathan I. Bloch
- Carlos A. Jaramillo
