Publication details
Early Miocene snakes from the locality of Wintershof-West (Germany)
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The late early Miocene snake assemblages are well-documented from Central European localities of the MN 4 and MN 5 Zones. However, diversified snake fauna is still poorly know from MN 1 to MN 3 Zones. German Wintershof-West locality (MN3b) provided both abundant fauna with a relatively diversified snake assemblage including Boidae: Bavarioboa sp., Bavarioboa sp. 1 (probably new species), Falseryx petersbuchi, Boidae gen. et sp. indet.; Colubridae: Coluber hungaricus, Coluber aff. hungaricus, Colubrinae gen. et sp. indet., „Neonatrix“ aff. europea, „Neonatrix“ sp.; Elapidae: Micrurus gallicus, Micrurus sp. and Viperidae: Vipera sp. (V. aspis complex). Although Boidae still represent an important group within the assemblage, the colubroid snakes, mostly of Asiatic origin, are dominant which coincides with recent studies from Amöneburg, Germany, MN 2. Several snake taxa from Wintershof-West display their first distinct appearance (C. hungaricus, Micrurus gallicus, and the genus Neonatrix). The occurrence of unusually large specimens of vipers referred to the V. aspis complex (centrum length of the largest vertebrae 5.24–6.21 mm) is remarkable. The snake assemblage composition documents that the late MN 3 climate was favorable for distribution of rather thermophilous taxa (Bavarioboa, Falseryx) in southern Germany. Therefore, we can assume a relatively rapid increase in temperatures in western part of Central Europe during the early Burdigalian stage. |