Biology:Diablophis

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Short description: Extinct genus of snake

Diablophis
Temporal range: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian), 157.3–152.1 Ma
Scientific classification e
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Clade: Ophidia
Genus: Diablophis
Caldwell et al., 2015[1]
Type species
Diablophis gilmorei
(Evans, 1996)
Synonyms

Diablophis is a genus of Late Jurassic stem-snake from the Morrison Formation of North America. The type and only species, D. gilmorei was once thought to be a species of Parviraptor[2] but is now classified as its own genus.[1] The animal is known from multiple specimens, the holotype being LACM 4684/140572, which consists of a broken right mandible, broken right maxilla and broken axis vertebrae. A number of other specimens have also been attributed to Diablophis, including LACM 4684/140572 and LACM 5572/120732, the specimens previously attributed to Parviraptor and LACM 4684/120472.[1]

Phylogeny

Diablophis has been recovered as a basal snake, though this placement is disputed. The cladogram from figure 4b in Caldwell et al.'s 2015 study is replicated below.[1]

Anguimorph root

Diablophis

Eophis

Portugalophis

Parviraptor

aff. Parviraptor

Dinilysia

Sanajeh

Yurlunggur

Wonambi

Najash

Coniophis

Scolecophidia

Uropeltidae

Anilius

Haasiophis

Eopodophis

Pachyrachis

Loxocemus

Xenopeltis

Bolyeriidae

Tropidophiidae

Acrochordidae

"Basal colubroids"

Ungaliophiidae

Erycniae

Pythoninae

Boinae

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Caldwell, M.W.; Nydam, R.L.; Palci, A; Apesteguía, S (2015). "The oldest known snakes from the Middle Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous provide insights on snake evolution". Nature Communications 6: 5996. doi:10.1038/ncomms6996. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Evans, S.E. (1996). "Parviraptor (Squamata: Anguimorpha) and other lizards from the Morrison Formation at Fruita, Colorado". The Continental Jurassic 60: 243–248. 

Wikidata ☰ Q113125252 entry