More than one large constrictor snake lurked around paleolake Messel

SMITH, KRISTER T.; SCANFERLA, AGUSTÍN

PALAEONTOGRAPHICA

E SCHWEIZERBARTSCHE VERLAGS

Año: 2022

0375-0442

The largest terrestrial snakes fromEurope pertain to the constrictor genus Palaeopython Rochebrune, 1880. Twospecimens from the early?middle Eocene of Messel, Germany, are the firstskeletons referable to Palaeopython, which we describe as Palaeopython schaalisp. nov. The new species shares numerous derived features with Messelopythonfreyi Zaher & Smith, 2020, including a sigmoidal lateral margin of themaxilla, a highly distinctive ectopterygoid-pterygoid articulation, acrescentic supra-orbital element, and a strongly convex prearticular crest ofthe compound bone. We erect the family Messelopythonidae nov. for the fossilgenera Palaeopython and Messelopython P. schaali has a highly uniqueposterodorsal circumorbital element that in its great extent is similar to thecombined supra- and post-orbital elements of M. freyi P. schaali co-existedwith the stem boid Eoconstrictor fischeri (Schaal, 2004), demonstrating thatsimilarly sized species of these two lineages of hyper-macrostomate snakes weresympatric. Although evidence of body proportions suggests a terrestrial way oflife for Messelopythonidae, several skull traits such as the sigmoid-shapedmaxilla, highly enlarged anterior maxillary teeth, and a straight lower jawsuggest an arboreal lifestyle for P. schaali. Analysis of morphometric dataprovides no support for the presence of pit organs in this species.@font-face{font-family:Cambria;panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:auto;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:ES-AR;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-fareast-language:JA;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}