Simoliophis

Simoliophis Temporal range: 99.6–93.9  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	† Simoliophiidae
Genus:	† Simoliophis Sauvage, 1880
Type species
†Simoliophis rochebrunei Sauvage, 1880
Other species [1]
†Simoliophis libycu Nessov et al., 1998
Synonyms [1]
Symoliophis Rochebrune, 1880 Symoliophis Sauvage, 1880

Simoliophis is a genus of extinct marine snake from the Cretaceous period. It is a member of the Simoliophiidae family. Fossils are known from Morocco, France and Spain. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Description

The type species, Simoliophis rochebrunei, is distinguished by a set of vertebral characteristics, including short and robust vertebrae with a small neural canal and a shallow interzygapophyseal constriction. The species exhibits pachyostosis, particularly in the mid-trunk region and the anterior portion of the posterior trunk. Ribs attributed to S. rochebrunei are pachyostotic at their proximal ends and decrease in thickness distally. Some specimens exhibit a slight curvature, while others are more robustly curved near the proximal end. The anatomical adaptations of Simoliophis suggest a highly pachyostotic, marine-affiliated snake adapted for slow swimming in shallow waters. Its morphology indicates a lifestyle of prolonged, shallow dives rather than active, fast swimming. A fragment of skull bone bearing three tooth sockets has been tentatively assigned to S. rochebrunei. While its attribution is not definitive, the fossil was recovered from a locality where Simoliophis is abundant, making its association plausible. ^[4]

References

1. "Simoliophis". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 2025-03-21.
2. Nessov, Alexandrovich; Zhegallo, Vladimir Illijch; Averianov, Alexander Olegovich (1998-07-01). "A new locality of Late Cretaceous snakes, mammals and other vertebrates in Africa (western Libya)" . Annales de Paléontologie. 84 (3–4): 265–274. doi:10.1016/s0753-3969(99)80002-0. ISSN   0753-3969.
3. Vullo, Romain; Bernárdez, Enrique; Buscalioni, Angela D. (2009-05-01). "Vertebrates from the middle?–late Cenomanian La Cabaña Formation (Asturias, northern Spain): Palaeoenvironmental and palaeobiogeographic implications" . Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 276 (1–4): 120–129. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.03.004. ISSN   0031-0182.
4. Rage, Jean-Claude; Vullo, Romain; Néraudeau, Didier (2016-03-01). "The mid-Cretaceous snake Simoliophis rochebrunei Sauvage, 1880 (Squamata: Ophidia) from its type area (Charentes, southwestern France): Redescription, distribution, and palaeoecology" . Cretaceous Research. 58: 234–253. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.10.010. ISSN   0195-6671.