Pythons are widespread in Asia, especially in tropical forests and swamps in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
However, pythons have never been found in Taiwan, leading scientists to wonder whether these snakes lived on the island when sea levels were low.
Recently, a fossilized python vertebra was discovered near Tainan City , dating back to the Middle Pleistocene (800,000–400,000 years ago). The snake to which the vertebra belonged is believed to have been at least four meters long. This is the first discovery of an ancient python in Taiwan.
Scientists from National Taiwan University were able to identify the vertebra by its distinctive features, including the shape of the zygosphene, which helped differentiate it from other snakes. Although the specimen was unique, the scientists used statistical models to estimate the reptile's dimensions.
Researchers suggest that the disappearance of the python may be linked to the end-of-the-Ice Age extinction event, when many large animals vanished, leaving an ecological void that has yet to be filled. Scientists note that "the position of apex predator in the modern ecosystem may have remained vacant ever since."
Thus, the discovery of the python paragraph helps in understanding ancient changes to the ecosystem in Taiwan, and the impact of extinctions on biodiversity.
