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A second primitive marine snake: Pachyophis woodwardi from the Cretaceous of Bosnia‐Herzegovina
Author(s) -
Lee M. S. Y.,
Caldwell M. W.,
Scanlon J. D.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01050.x
Subject(s) - biology , cladistics , cretaceous , sister group , dorsum , anatomy , clade , rib cage , paleontology , zoology , phylogenetics , biochemistry , gene
The fossil of a second primitive snake from Cretaceous marine sediments is identified and redescribed: Pachyophis woodwardi Nopcsa. This snake was similar to Pachyrhachis in having pachyostotic vertebrae, a slender neck and a small head. However, Pachyophis differed from Pachyrhachis in being even more aquatically adapted: the mid‐dorsal vertebrae and ribs are more swollen (pachyostotic), the body was more laterally compressed, and the dentary contains more teeth. The hindlimb (well developed in Pachyrhachis ) cannot be confirmed as present or absent in Pachyophis . A cladistic analysis demonstrates that Pachyophis and Pachyrhachis form a clade. This grouping, here termed the Pachyophiidae, forms the most basal group of snakes so far known and is the sister group to all other well‐known snakes.