Eupodophis

Eupodophis
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 92 Ma
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Holotype of Eupodophis descouensi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: †Simoliophiidae
Genus: †Eupodophis
Rage and Escuillié, 2000
Species
  • †E. descouensi Rage and Escuillié, 2000 (type)

Eupodophis is an extinct genus of snake from the Late Cretaceous period. It has two small hind legs and is considered a transitional form between Cretaceous lizards and limbless snakes. The feature, described as vestigial, was most likely useless to Eupodophis.[1] The type species Eupodophis descouensi was named in 2000 and resides now in the paleontology section of the Mim Museum in Beirut, Lebanon. The specific name is dedicated to the French naturalist Didier Descouens.[2]

The fossilized specimen from which the description of the type species was based was 85 cm (33.5 in) long and is approximately 92 million years old. It was found in Cenomanian-age limestone near the al-Nammoura village in Lebanon[2][3] belonging to the Sannine Formation.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference RedOrbit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Ancient serpent shows its leg". BBC. April 10, 2008. Retrieved April 10, 2008.
  3. ^ Rage, J. C. & Escuillié, F. Un nouveau serpent bipède du Cénomanien (Crétacé). Implications phylétiques. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Earth Sci. 330, 513–520 (2000)
  4. ^ Campbell Mekarski, Michelle; Pierce, Stephanie E.; Caldwell, Michael W. (2019-09-24). "Spatiotemporal Distributions of Non-ophidian Ophidiomorphs, With Implications for Their Origin, Radiation, and Extinction". Frontiers in Earth Science. 7: 245. Bibcode:2019FrEaS...7..245M. doi:10.3389/feart.2019.00245. ISSN 2296-6463.