An amazing fossil unearthed in Germany contains a remarkable look at an ancient food chain featuring a snake, a lizard, and a beetle!
Discovered in a disused shale mine near Frankfurt, the 48-million-year-old fossil features a nearly three-and-a-half foot long snake that contains the body of a lizard inside of its stomach.
And, in an incredible circumstance of timing, researchers discovered that the lizard also boasted a meal of its own in the form of a beetle found in its digestive system.
Researchers believe that the snake died only one or two days after eating the lizard, since the creature was considerably well preserved.
The site of the find, known as the Messel Pit, appears to be a veritable 'food court' for ancient creatures as researchers have found several other fossils featuring prey inside a predator's stomach.
But this particular discovery is almost one for the record books as the three-part 'food chain fossil' is only the second of its kind ever discovered.
We're guessing that the near-historic nature of the fossil is small consolation for the unfortunate beetle that began the chain.
Source: Daily Mail