Publication details
New insights into Anatolian snake fauna at the Paleogene-Neogene transition
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | The latest Oligocene to earliest Miocene transition is generally poorly represented in the fossil record of snakes throughout Eurasia. Although the palaeogeographic evolution around the Paratethyan and Mediterranean Seas enabled faunal exchanges between Anatolia and southeastern Europe during the latest Oligocene and earliest Miocene (MP 30 to MN 1–2), there are only three localities that could partially substantiate this communication in herpetofauna – Kucuran, Kilçak, and Kargi. Among these, Kargi 1–3 has yielded diverse amphibian and reptile communities. However, snakes from Kargi have not been adequately studied in detail. We here focused on the study of snakes from two Kargi localities, Kargi 1 (MN 1) and Kargi 2 (MP 30/MN 1). Although most vertebrae are poorly preserved, hindering a precise determination, we identified six different snake taxa in Kargi 1 (Eoanilius aff. oligocenicus, cf. Falseryx sp., Platyspondylia sp., Alethinophidia indet. 1, and Colubroidea indet. 1 and 2) and four taxa in Kargi 2 (Eoanilius aff. oligocenicus, cf. Falseryx sp., Platyspondylia sp., and Colubroidea indet. 1). Eoanilius aff. oligocenicus, cf. Falseryx sp., and Platyspondylia sp. resemble those reported in several European localities. Eoanilius aff. oligocenicus differs from the type material of E. oligocenicus by the more anteriorly extended neural spine and more distinct haemal keel. Trunk vertebrae of cf. Falseryx sp. differ those of Falseryx petersbuchi and Falseryx neervelpensis by a slightly longer neural spine, but cloacal and caudal (including posterior caudal) vertebrae, clearly referable to same form as the trunk vertebrae, possess hypapophysis instead of haemapophyses. Colubroidea are represented by two indeterminate morphotypes of which Colubroidea indet. 1 displays paracotylar foramina in the trunk portion of the vertebral column but all caudal vertebrae have developed bilaterally doubled paracotylar foramina. This taxon occurs in both localities. The only trunk vertebra of Colubroidea indet. 2 differs from Colubroidea indet. 1 by the presence of markedly long subcotylar tubercles. Snakes from Kargi 1 and Kargi 2, which do not substantially differ from the known scarce record of Oligo-Miocene snakes from Anatolia, display a close affinity to European late Paleogene snakes and therefore, faunal exchanges between both areas seem probable around the Oligocene-Miocene transition. These new finds are important not only for the understanding of the morphological variability within the vertebral column of selected snake groups but also provide us new information about the evolution of snake communities around the Paleogene–Neogene transition. |