Diablophis

Diablophis
Temporal range: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian), 157.3–152.1 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
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
Species synonymy

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]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 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. hdl:11336/37995.
  2. ^ a b Evans, S.E. (1996). "Parviraptor (Squamata: Anguimorpha) and other lizards from the Morrison Formation at Fruita, Colorado". The Continental Jurassic. 60: 243–248.