Pterosphenus

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Pterosphenus
Temporal range: Paleocene–Eocene
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: †
Genus: †Pterosphenus
Lucas, 1898

Pterosphenus is an extinct genus of marine snake of the Eocene period.[1][2]

Classification[]

Pterosphenus belong to the Palaeophiid snakes, a clade which includes all snakes outside of blind and thread snakes. Its closest relative is Palaeophis, of which both belong to the subfamily Palaeopheinae. Two species are known, P. schucherti from North America, and P. schweinfurthi from northern Africa.

Description[]

While only known from partial remains, enough has been found of Pterosphenus to suggest it was a large reptile over 4 metres. It body was laterally compressed as an adaptation to pelagic life.

Palaeoenvironment and Palaeoecology[]

A marine ocean dweller, Pterosphenus lived in the shallow seas of both the future eastern US (fossils are known from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas and up north to New Jersey), and northern Africa in the Tethys Ocean (fossils are known from Morocco,[3] Libya,[4] and Egypt[5]). Pterosphenus was a top predator of the ecosystem, likely preying on fish and molluscs found in the same area.

It is certain that Pterosphenus would have encountered basal cetaceans of the time like Zygorhiza, Dorudon, and Basilosaurus, though its likely a mixed of niche partitioning and living in different areas in the case of Basilosaurus (which lived in estuary ecosystems according to recent finds) would prevent competition between the species.

References[]

  1. ^ Case, Dennis; Parmley, Gerard (September 23, 1988). "New records of Eocene sea snakes (Pterosphenus) from Louisiana". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 8: 334–339. JSTOR 4523211.
  2. ^ Westgate, Jim F.; Ward, James. W. (1981). "The giant aquatic snake Pterosphenus schucherti (Palaeophidae) in Arkansas and Mississippi". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 1 (2): 161–164. doi:10.1080/02724634.1981.10011887.
  3. ^ Zouhri, Gingerich, and Elboudali, Sebti, Noubhani, Rahali, Meslouh (2014). "New marine mammal faunas (Cetacea and Sirenia) and sea level change in the Samlat Formation, Upper Eocene, near Ad-Dakhla in southwestern Morocco". Comptes Rendus Paleovol. 13 (7): 599–610. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2014.04.002.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ Hoffstetter, R. (1961). "Nouvelles récoltes de serpents fossiles dans l'Éocène Supérieur du désert Libyque". Bulletin du Museum – via J. Head.
  5. ^ Seiffert, Simons, and Attia, E. R., E. L., and Y. (2003). "Fossil evidence for an ancient divergence of lorises and galagos". Nature. 422 (6930): 421–424. Bibcode:2003Natur.422..421S. doi:10.1038/nature01489. PMID 12660781. S2CID 4408626.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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