Re: New Limbed Cretaceous Snake

[Fulton Grant <blackphoenix@eastlink.ca>]

On 20-Apr-06, at 5:21 AM, Nick Pharris wrote:

> Quoting Danvarner@aol.com:
>
> > Large images:
> >
> > http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9020-oldest-snake-fossil- 
> > shows-a-bit-of-
> > leg.html
>
> <<Blair Hedges, an evolutionary biologist at Pennsylvania State  
> University, US, says: "In one fell swoop, this new fossil kind of  
> casts doubt on the aquatic hypothesis."
>
> His DNA sequencing studies suggest a terrestrial origin for snakes.  
> And he says that, looking at evolutionary history, it is difficult  
> to find examples of limb loss in an aquatic environment.>>

Can somebody please explain how DNA sequencing was done in relation  
to this fossil? Unless DNA was preserved with the specimen, which  
hasn't been mentioned AFAIK, DNA testing could only have been done  
with extant species - something that could've been don without even  
knowing this specimen existed.