Coniophis

Coniophis
Temporal range: Turonian-Priabonian
~94–34 Ma
Holotype vertebra of Coniophis precedens
Holotype vertebra of Coniophis precedens
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Infraorder: Alethinophidia
Genus: Coniophis
Marsh, 1892
Species
Coniophis sp. snake vertebra
Coniophis sp. vertebra

Coniophis is an extinct genus of snakes from the late Cretaceous period. The type species, Coniophis precedes, was about 7 cm long and had snake-like teeth and body form, with a skull and a largely lizard-like bone structure.[3] It probably ate small vertebrates. The fossil remains of Coniophis were first discovered at the end of the 19th century in the Lance Formation of the US state of Wyoming, and were described in 1892 by Othniel Charles Marsh.[3] For the genus Coniophis, a number of other species have been described. Their affiliation is, however, poorly secured, mostly based on vertebrae descriptions from only a few fossils.

  1. ^ a b c d e Coniophis Marsh, 1892 in GBIF Secretariat (2017). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist Dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2018-04-06.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Coniophis". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b Marsh, O.C. (1892). "Notice of new reptiles from the Laramie formation". American Journal of Science. 43 (257): 449. Bibcode:1892AmJS...43..449M. doi:10.2475/ajs.s3-43.257.449. S2CID 131291138.