Alethinophidia

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Alethinophidia
Temporal range: 94–0  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Cenomanian to Present [1]
Natrix natrix (Marek Szczepanek).jpg
Grass snake, Natrix natrix
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Infraorder: Alethinophidia
Nopcsa, 1923
Subclades
Common names: advanced snakes.

The Alethinophidia are an infraorder of snakes that includes all snakes other than blind snakes and thread snakes. Snakes have long been grouped into families within Alethinophidia based on their morphology, especially that of their teeth. More modern phylogenetic hypotheses using genetic data [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [ excessive citations ] support the recognition of 19 extant families (see below), although the taxonomy of alethinophidian snakes has long been debated, and ultimately the decision whether to assign a particular clade to a particular Linnaean rank (such as a superfamily, family, or subfamily) is arbitrary.

Contents

Etymology

The infraorder name Alethinophidia derives from the two Ancient Greek words ἀληθινός (alēthinós), meaning "truthful, genuine", and ὄφις (óphis), meaning "snake". [12] [13]

Fossil record

Fossils of alethinophidians were found in Cenomanian (Middle Cretaceous) sites of Wadi Milk Formation in Wadi Abu Hashim, Sudan. [1] Coniophis presents the vertebral morphology similar to modern-day Aniliidae. Two extinct families from the same location, the Anomalophiidae and Russellophiidae, also belong to the Alethinophidia. Krebsophis is the earliest russellophiid. The family Nigerophiidae includes both aquatic [1] Nubianophis from Wadi Abu Hashim and Nigerophis from the Palaeocene of Niger. The genus Eoanilius (belongs to Aniliidae) appeared in the Eocene. It is also existed in Oligocene and early Miocene. [1] The extinct marine Simoliophidae are known from the Cenomanian of North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, indicating a Tethyan distribution; they are notable for preserving evidence of vestigial hindlimbs. [14]

Systematics

Extant taxa

Fossil taxa

Based on Gower & Zaher (2022): [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viperinae</span> Subfamily of snakes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrophiinae</span> Subfamily of venomous snakes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henophidia</span> Group of snakes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natricinae</span> Subfamily of snakes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigerophiidae</span> Extinct family of reptiles

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References

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