And its strange physiology hints that the creature was an ancestor to both modern lizards and snakes, which retained some of its features as they evolved down through the millennia. An international team of researchers, which included National Museums Scotland (NMS), uncovered the previously unknown species, which is among the oldest and most complete Jurassic lizards known to science. Its anatomy suggests it could be one of the parviraptorids – the predecessors of all lizards and snakes. Read More:Dr Walsh said: “The Isle of Skye is one of the most important Middle Jurassic sites in the world. “Breugnathair elgolensis is a remarkable addition to the fossil record, helping to rewrite our understanding of the evolution of snakes and lizards.