INVESTIGADORES
SCANFERLA Carlos Agustin
artículos
Título:
Exquisitely Preserved Fossil Snakes of Messel: Insight into the Evolution, Biogeography, Habitat Preferences and Sensory Ecology of Early Boas
Autor/es:
SCANFERLA, AGUSTÍN; SMITH, KRISTER T.
Revista:
Diversity
Editorial:
MDPI
Referencias:
Lugar: Basilea; Año: 2020 vol. 12
Resumen:
Our knowledge of early evolution ofsnakes is improving, but all that we can infer about the evolution of modernclades of snakes such as boas (Booidea) is still based on isolated bones. Here,we resolve the phylogenetic relationships of Eoconstrictorfischeri comb. nov. and other booids from the early-middle Eocene ofMessel (Germany), the best-known fossil snake assemblage yet discovered. Ourcombined analyses demonstrate an affinity of Eoconstrictorwith Neotropical boas, thus entailing a South America-to-Europe dispersalevent. Other booid species from Messel are related to different New Worldclades, reinforcing the cosmopolitan nature of the Messel booid fauna. Ouranalyses indicate that Eoconstrictor was aterrestrial, medium- to large-bodied snake that bore labial pit organs in theupper jaw, the earliest evidence that the visual system in snakes incorporatedthe infrared spectrum. Evaluation of the known palaeobiology of Eoconstrictor provides no evidence that pit organsplayed a role in the predator?prey relations of this stem boid. At the sametime, the morphological diversity of Messel booids reflects the occupation ofseveral terrestrial macrohabitats, and even in the earliest booid community therelation between pit organs and body size is similar to that seen in booidstoday.<!-- /* Font Definitions */@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;} /* Style Definitions */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;}span.html-italic{mso-style-name:html-italic;mso-style-unhide:no;}.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;}size:595.0pt 842.0pt;margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm;mso-header-margin:35.4pt;mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;mso-paper-source:0;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}