PBDB Taxon

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Palaeophis

Reptilia - Palaeophiidae

Taxonomy

Palaeophis was named by Owen (1841) [Sepkoski's age data: K Maes T Eo-m-l Sepkoski's reference number: 505]. It is not extant. It is the type genus of Palaeophidae. It was considered monophyletic by Bajpai and Head (2008).

It was assigned to Ophidia by Owen (1842), d'Orbigny (1849), Cope (1868), Cope (1872); to Palaeophidae by Hay (1902), Hay (1930), Kuhn (1966), Holman (1982); to Palaeopheidae by Lydekker (1888), Rage (1984), Weems (1985), Holman and Case (1988); to Squamata by Sepkoski (2002); to Palaeopheinae by Holman et al. (1991), Parmley and Reed (2003), Parmley and DeVore (2005), Bajpai and Head (2008); to Palaeophiinae by Rage et al. (2003), Snetkov and Bannikov (2010), Snetkov (2011), Zvonok and Snetkov (2012), Kristensen et al. (2012), Houssaye et al. (2013); and to Palaeophiidae by Rage et al. (2008), Georgalis et al. (2020), Georgalis et al. (2021), Aniny et al. (2024).

Species lacking formal opinion data

P. taliapicus

Synonyms

Palaeophis halidanus was named by Cope (1868) [Since it was originally illustrated the type specimen has "suffered the loss of minor pieces" - Gilmore 1938]. Its type specimen is PMNH (YPM) 2763, a set of vertebrae (single vertebral centrum with one anterior zygapophysis), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Squankum - Shark River Marl [Nautiloida], which is in an Eocene coastal siliciclastic in the Shark River Marl Formation of New Jersey.

It was recombined as Dinophis halidanus by Marsh (1869); it was considered a nomen dubium by Rage (1984).
Dinophis was named by Marsh (1869).

It was synonymized subjectively with Palaeophis by Cope (1872), Hay (1902), Rage (1984).

It was assigned to Boidae by Marsh (1869).
Titanophis was named by Marsh (1878).

It was synonymized subjectively with Palaeophis by Rage (1984).
Palaeophis giganteus was named by Pomel (1847).

It was considered a nomen nudum by Rage (1984).
Vialovophis was named by Nessov (1984).

It was synonymized subjectively with Palaeophis by Rage et al. (2003).

It was assigned to Palaeopheidae by Nessov (1984).
Nessovophis was named by Averianov (1997). Its type is Nessovophis tamdy.

It was synonymized subjectively with Palaeophis by Rage et al. (2003).

It was assigned to Nigerophiidae by Averianov (1997).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1841	Palaeophis Owen
1842	Palaeophis Owen p. 180
1847	Palaeophis giganteus Pomel
1849	Palaeophis d'Orbigny p. 213
1868	Palaeophis Cope p. 234
1868	Palaeophis halidanus Cope p. 234
1869	Dinophis Marsh p. 400
1869	Dinophis halidanus Marsh p. 400
1870	Palaeophis halidanus Cope p. 227
1872	Palaeophis Cope p. 14
1872	Palaeophis halidanus Cope p. 14
1878	Titanophis Marsh
1888	Palaeophis Lydekker
1902	Palaeophis Hay p. 479
1902	Palaeophis halidanus Hay p. 479
1930	Palaeophis Hay p. 267
1930	Palaeophis halidanus Hay p. 267
1966	Palaeophis Kuhn p. 63
1982	Palaeophis Holman
1984	Vialovophis Nessov
1984	Palaeophis Rage p. 33
1985	Paleophis Weems
1988	Palaeophis Holman and Case p. 331
1991	Palaeophis Holman et al. p. 4
1997	Nessovophis Averianov p. 130 fig. 2
2002	Paleophis Sepkoski
2003	Palaeophis Parmley and Reed p. 224
2003	Palaeophis Rage et al.
2005	Palaeophis Parmley and DeVore p. 708
2008	Palaeophis Bajpai and Head
2008	Palaeophis Rage et al. p. 392
2010	Palaeophis Snetkov and Bannikov p. 698
2011	Palaeophis Snetkov p. 306
2012	Palaeophis Kristensen et al.
2012	Palaeophis Zvonok and Snetkov p. 394
2013	Palaeophis Houssaye et al.
2020	Palaeophis Georgalis et al.
2021	Palaeophis Georgalis et al. p. 4
2024	Palaeophis Aniny et al.

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda

Rank	Name	Author
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
—	Sauropsida
class	Reptilia
—	Squamata	()
suborder	Ophidia	(Latreille 1804)
—	Serpentes	(Linnaeus 1758)
family	Palaeophiidae	()
genus	Palaeophis	Owen 1841

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. †Palaeophis Owen 1841

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†Palaeophis africanus Andrews 1924

†Palaeophis casei Holman 1982

†Palaeophis colossaeus Rage 1983

†Palaeophis ferganicus Averianov 1997

†Palaeophis grandis Marsh 1869

†Palaeophis littoralis Cope 1847

†Palaeophis longus Owen 1849

†Palaeophis maghrebianus Arambourg 1952

†Palaeophis nessovi Averianov 1997

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Invalid names: Palaeophis udovichenkoi Averianov 1997 [synonym]

†Palaeophis oweni de Zigno 1881

†Palaeophis porcatus Owen 1849

†Palaeophis tamdy Averianov 1997

†Palaeophis toliapicus Owen 1841

†Palaeophis typhaeus Owen 1850

†Palaeophis vastaniensis Bajpai and Head 2008

†Palaeophis virginianus Lynn 1934

†Paleophis virginianus Lynn 1934

Invalid names: Dinophis Marsh 1869 [synonym], Nessovophis Averianov 1997 [synonym], Palaeophis giganteus Pomel 1847 [nomen nudum], Palaeophis halidanus Cope 1868 [nomen dubium], Titanophis Marsh 1878 [synonym], Vialovophis Nessov 1984 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

phosphaticsubp

Environment:

terrestrialuc

Locomotion:

actively mobilec

Created:

2017-04-17 15:15:35

Modified:

2017-04-17 15:15:35

Source: c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade

References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988

Age range: base of the Maastrichtian to the top of the Priabonian or 72.20000 to 33.90000 Ma

Collections (59 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Maastrichtian	72.2 - 66.0	Niger (Tahoua)	P. sp. (104945)
Maastrichtian	72.2 - 66.0	Morocco (Tadla-Azilal)	P. sp. (136942)
Late/Upper Paleocene	59.24 - 56.0	Kazakhstan (Chimkent)	Vialovophis zhylan (48888)
Thanetian	59.24 - 56.0	USA (Virginia)	P. virginianus (13186)
Thanetian	59.24 - 56.0	USA (New Jersey)	P. littoralis (3113)
Late/Upper Paleocene - Early/Lower Eocene	59.24 - 48.07	USA (Virginia)	Paleophis virginianus (105244)
Late/Upper Paleocene - Early/Lower Eocene	59.24 - 48.07	Denmark	P. sp. (138441)
Late/Upper Paleocene - Early/Lower Eocene	59.24 - 48.07	USA (Mississippi)	P. virginianus, P. littoralis, P. casei (161862)
Clarkforkian	56.2 - 54.9	USA (South Carolina)	P. sp. (15074)
Early/Lower Eocene	56.0 - 48.07	Germany	P. toliapicus (45802)
Early/Lower Eocene	56.0 - 48.07	USA (Mississippi)	P. virginianus, P. littoralis (27622)
MP 10	56.0 - 48.07	France (Picardie)	P. toliapicus, P. typhaeus (68440)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	Morocco (Chaouia-Ouardigha)	P. maghrebianus (87890)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	Morocco	P. maghrebianus (55249 55250)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	USA (New Jersey)	Paleophis littoralis (123513)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	USA (Maryland)	P. grandis (55255)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	Kyrgyzstan (Osh)	P. ferganicus (28490)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	Mali (Gao)	P. colossaeus (175262)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	India (Gujarat)	P. sp., P. vastaniensis (55494) P. vastaniensis (180565 180566)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	USA (Virginia)	P. sp., P. grandis (13187)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	United Kingdom (England)	P. longus (13299) P. toliapicus (76601)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	Kazakhstan (Chimkent)	Nessovophis zhylga (49051)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	Tajikistan (Khudzhand)	P. ferganicus (49136)
Ypresian	56.0 - 48.07	Mali	P. colossaeus (48097 114961)
Eocene	56.0 - 33.9	USA (Mississippi)	P. casei (161750)
Wasatchian	54.9 - 50.5	USA (Mississippi)	P. virginianus, P. littoralis, P. casei (15719)
Wasatchian	54.9 - 50.5	USA (Virginia)	P. virginianus, P. casei, P. toliapicus (15595)
Lutetian	48.07 - 41.03	Western Sahara	P. moghrebianus (235060)
Lutetian	48.07 - 41.03	Angola	P. africanus (83988) P. typhaeus (209410)
Lutetian	48.07 - 41.03	USA (Alabama)	P. virginianus (13346)
Lutetian	48.07 - 41.03	USA (New Jersey)	Dinophis grandis (16411)
Lutetian	48.07 - 41.03	United Kingdom (England)	P. porcatus (41847) P. typhaeus (41989 41992 41998)
Lutetian	48.07 - 41.03	Togo	P. africanus (32991)
Middle Eocene	48.07 - 37.71	Ukraine (Crimea)	P. taliapicus, P. nessovi, P. tamdy (140018)
Middle Eocene	48.07 - 37.71	USA (New Jersey)	P. halidanus (81778) Paleophis sp. (88090)
Middle Eocene	48.07 - 37.71	Ukraine	P. nessovi (113113)
Middle Eocene	48.07 - 37.71	USA (Texas)	P. sp. (37559)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	Ukraine	P. sp. (113114)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	Uzbekistan	Nessovophis tamdy (49137)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	United Kingdom (England)	P. sp. (42636)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	Italy (Verona)	P. oweni (48159)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	Kazakhstan (Mangyshlak)	P. sp., P. nessovi (49152)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	Kazakhstan	P. nessovi (113115 113116 113117)
Bartonian - Priabonian	41.03 - 33.9	Ukraine	P. udovichenkoi (49160)
Bartonian - Priabonian	41.03 - 33.9	USA (Florida)	P. sp. (81604)
Priabonian	37.71 - 33.9	USA (Georgia)	P. africanus (45640)
Priabonian	37.71 - 33.9	Kazakhstan (Kustanay)	P. nessovi (49167)