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Messelophis

Source Data
SourceIDLink
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ID (GBIF)4820488https://www.gbif.org/species/4820488
PaleoBioDB ID (PBDB)135037https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=135037
Rankgenus
Taxonomy (GBIF,PBDB)Life : Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Squamata : Boidae : Messelophis
Taxonomic Status (GBIF)accepted
Classification
(PBDB,GBIF)
RankNameAuthor
-Eukaryota
-OpisthokontaCavalier-Smith 1987
kingdomAnimalia
-TriploblasticaLankester 1877
-NephrozoaJondelius et al. 2002
-DeuterostomiaGrobben 1908
phylumChordataHaeckel 1847
subphylumVertebrataLamarck 1801
superclassGnathostomataGegenbauer 1874
-Osteichthyes
-SarcopterygiiRomer 1955
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha
subclassTetrapodomorpha
-Tetrapoda
-ReptiliomorphaSäve-Söderbergh 1934
-AnthracosauriaSäve-Söderbergh 1934
-Batrachosauria
-Cotylosauria
-AmniotaHaeckel 1866
-SauropsidaHuxley 1864
classReptiliaLaurenti 1768
subclassEureptilia
-RomeriidaGauthier et al. 1988
-Diapsida
-Eosuchia
-NeodiapsidaBenton 1985
-SauriaGauthier 1984
-Lepidosauromorpha
superorderLepidosauria
orderSquamataOppel 1811
suborderOphidia
-Serpentes
infraorderAlethinophidiaNopcsa 1923
-MacrostomataRitgen 1828
superfamilyBooideaGray 1825
familyBoidaeGray 1825
genusMesselophisBaszio 2004
Scientific NameMesselophis Baszio, 2004
Name Published InBaszio, S. (2004). Messelophis variatus n. gen. n. sp. from the Eocene of Messel: a tropidopheine snake with affinities to Erycinae (Boidae). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 252, 47-66
Opinions (PBDB)
NameRankOpinionEvidenceAuthor
Messelophisgenusbelongs to Tropidophiidaestated with evidenceSzyndlar et al., 2008
Messelophisgenusbelongs to Boidaestated with evidenceScanferla et al., 2016
Status (PBDB)extinct
Taxon Size (PBDB)2
First Recorded Appearance48.6 - 40.4 Ma
Eocene
Last Recorded Appearance48.6 - 40.4 Ma
Eocene
Environmentfreshwater,terrestrial (based on Boidae)
Motilityactively mobile (based on Osteichthyes)
Dietcarnivore (based on Boidae)
Taphonomyphosphatic (based on Vertebrata)
Primary Reference (PBDB)Z. Szyndlar, R. Smith, and J.-C. Rage. 2008. A new dwarf boa (Serpentes, Booidea, 'Tropidophiidae') from the Early Oligocene of Belgium: a case of the isolation of Western European snake faunas. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 152(2):393-406

Fossil Distribution

Subtaxa

NameStatusCommon Name(s)Fossil OccurrencesOldestYoungest
Messelophis variatus
species
accepted (GBIF)
listed (PBDB)
148.6 Ma
Eocene
48.6 Ma
Eocene

Synonymy List

YearName and Author
2004Messelophis Baszio
2008Messelophis Szyndlar et al. p. 400
2016Messelophis Scanferla et al.

References

Szyndlar Z., Smith R., et al (2008) A new dwarf boa (Serpentes, Booidea, 'Tropidophiidae') from the Early Oligocene of Belgium: a case of the isolation of Western European snake faunas, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 152 2, 393-406
Scanferla A., Smith K. T., et al (2016) Revision of the cranial anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of the Eocene minute boas Messelophis variatus and Messelophis ermannorum (Serpentes, Booidea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 176, 182-206 doi:10.1111/zoj.12300
original work/web search - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
Baszio, S. (2004). Messelophis variatus n. gen. n. sp. from the Eocene of Messel: a tropidopheine snake with affinities to Erycinae (Boidae). Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, 252, 47-66 - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
Data courtesy of: PBDB: The Paleobiology Database, Creative Commons CC-BY licenced. , GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, various licences, iDigBio, various licences, and EOL: The Encyclopedia of Life (Open Data Public Domain). Because fossils are made of minerals too!
 
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