Palaeophis

Palaeophis
Temporal range: Eocene
Articulated vertebrae of P. toliapicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Infraorder: Booidea
Superfamily: Alethinophidia
Family: Palaeophiidae
Subfamily: Palaeopheinae
Genus: Palaeophis
Owen, 1841
Species
  • P. casei
  • P. colossaeus
  • P. ferganicus
  • P. grandis
  • P. littoralis
  • P. maghrebianus
  • P. nessovi
  • P. tamdy
  • P. toliapicus
  • P. udovickenkoi
  • P. virginianus

Palaeophis ('ancient snake') is an extinct genus of marine snake whose fossils have been found in England, France, Denmark,[1] Morocco[2] and Mali,[3] dating back to the late Paleocene and Eocene epochs. The species P. colossaeus, known from a single vertebra, was originally estimated to exceed 9 m (30 ft) in length,[3] making it one of the largest known snakes, however most species of the genus were not as big (e.g. P. casei being slightly over one metre).[4][5]

Biology

Palaeophis, like most members of its clade, was a specialised aquatic animal, occurring mostly on marine sites, though at least some estuarine remains have also been found. Its known species varied broadly in size; Palaeophis casei is the smallest at 1.3 metres of length, while Palaeophis colossaeus is the largest at the estimated size limits for the genus at over 9 m. Likely, individual species occupied a vast variety of ecological niches.

Studies on Palaeophis vertebrae show a high degree of vascularisation, suggesting that it had a considerably faster metabolism and growth rate than modern snakes. This may suggest that palaeophiids, like other marine reptiles such as mosasaurs, might had developed towards endothermy.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Kristensen, H. V.; Cuny, G.; Rasmussen, A. R.; Madsen, H (2012). "Earliest record of the fossil snake Palaeophis from the Paleocene/Eocene boundary in Denmark". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 183 (6): 621–625. doi:10.2113/gssgfbull.183.6.621.
  2. ↑ Houssaye, A.; Rage, J.-C., Bardet, N., Vincent, P., Amaghzaz, M., Meslouh, S. (2013). "New highlights about the enigmatic marine snake Palaeophis maghrebianus (Palaeophiidae; Palaeophiinae) from the Ypresian (Lower Eocene) phosphates of Morocco". Palaeontology 56 (3): 447–651. doi:10.1111/pala.12008.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rage, J.-C. (1983). "Palaeophis colossaeus nov. sp. (le plus grand Seprent connu?) de l’Eocène du Mali et le problème du genre chez les Palaeopheinae". Comptes Rendu de l’Academie des Sciences, Paris 3 (296): 1741–1744.
  4. ↑ Holman, J. Alan 1982. Palaeophis casei, new species, a tiny palaeophid snake from the early Eocene of Mississippi. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2, (2), 163-166.
  5. ↑ Rage, Jean-Claude et al. (2003). "Early Eocene snakes from Kutch, Western India, with a review of the Palaeophiidae". Geodiversitas (India: Editions scientifiques du Muséum, Paris, FRANCE) 25 (4): 695–716. ISSN 1280-9659. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  6. ↑ ALEXANDRA HOUSSAYE1, JEAN-CLAUDE RAGE, NATHALIE BARDET, PEGGY VINCENT, MBAREK AMAGHZAZ and SAID MESLOUH, New highlights about the enigmatic marine snake Palaeophis maghrebianus (Palaeophiidae; Palaeophiinae) from the Ypresian (Lower Eocene) phosphates of Morocco, Article first published online: 13 FEB 2013, DOI: 10.1111/pala.12008
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palaeophis.