From ScienceDaily:
“We believe sea snakes use these organs to sense objects at a distance by ‘feeling’ movements in the water. This hydrodynamic sense is not an option for land animals. In water, a new way of sensing the environment becomes possible.”
Sea snakes evolved from land-living snakes, taking to life in the sea between 9 and 20 million years ago. They spend the majority of their lives at sea: hunting fish, swimming and diving using a paddle-shaped tail, and coming up to the water’s surface to breathe air. Although they can also see, little is known about the underwater sensory perception of the snakes. Paper. (public access) – Jenna M. Crowe-Riddell, Edward P. Snelling, Amy P. Watson, Anton Kyuseop Suh, Julian C. Partridge, Kate L. Sanders. The evolution of scale sensilla in the transition from land to sea in elapid snakes. Open Biology, 2016; 6 (6): 160054 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160054 More.
What would one call such a sense?
See also: Birds know quantum mechanics? It’s all accidental. Please move on.