Vertebrate Zoology 70(4): 615-620, doi: 10.26049/VZ70-4-2020-06
Additional anatomical information on the Eocene minute boas Messelophis variatus and Rieppelophis ermannorum (Messel Formation, Germany)
expand article infoAgustín Scanferla‡, Krister Smith§
‡ CONICET, Salta, Argentina§ Senckenberg, Frankfurt, Germany

Corresponding author: Agustín Scanferla ( agustin_scanferla@yahoo.com.ar )

© Agustín Scanferla, Krister Smith.
This article is freely available under the J.UCS Open Content License.
Citation: Scanferla A, Smith K (2020) Additional anatomical information on the Eocene minute boas Messelophis variatus and Rieppelophis ermannorum (Messel Formation, Germany). Vertebrate Zoology 70(4): 615-620. https://doi.org/10.26049/VZ70-4-2020-06
Open Access
Abstract
The minute fossil boas Messelophis variatus and Rieppelophis ermannorum are the most abundant snakes recovered from the early-middle Eocene paleolake of Messel (Germany). This work describes several additional specimens referable to these taxa from the same deposit. Novel anatomical information gathered here provides further support for their phylogenetic affinity with the small North–Central American boas of the family Charinidae.
Keywords
Booidea, Eocene, Messel, Messelophis variatus, osteology, Rieppelophis ermannorum