Erected on the basis of an incomplete skull bone, Palaeopython sardus Portis, 1901 is the only remain referred to this species. The holotype, coming from the Middle Miocene of Monte Albu, Sardinia and identified as a palatine-pterygoid of a snake, was never revised because not traced by the several authors who discussed the validity of this taxon. There are no other remains referred to this species. We recently rediscovered the holotype in the collections of the Museo Sardo di Geologia e Paleontologia “Domenico Lovisato” (Cagliari, Italy) where it is now accessible under the accession number MDLCA 14402. The preservational status of MDLCA 14402 does not differ from the one described and figured by Portis but according to our revision, it is actually a premaxilla of an undetermined acanthomorph fish. The name Palaeopython sardus Portis, 1901 is here considered as a nomen vanum since its holotype is not informative and it is not possible to diagnose a fish taxon on its basis or to refer it to an extant or extinct species. The booid snakes of Italy are therefore represented only by erycinae snakes that so far have been described only in localities with an age ranging from the Late Miocene to the Late Pliocene.
The rediscovered holotype of Palaeopython sardus Portis, 1901 from the Miocene of Sardinia belongs to a fish, not to a snake
DELFINO, MASSIMO;CARNEVALE, Giorgio;
2014-01-01
Abstract
Erected on the basis of an incomplete skull bone, Palaeopython sardus Portis, 1901 is the only remain referred to this species. The holotype, coming from the Middle Miocene of Monte Albu, Sardinia and identified as a palatine-pterygoid of a snake, was never revised because not traced by the several authors who discussed the validity of this taxon. There are no other remains referred to this species. We recently rediscovered the holotype in the collections of the Museo Sardo di Geologia e Paleontologia “Domenico Lovisato” (Cagliari, Italy) where it is now accessible under the accession number MDLCA 14402. The preservational status of MDLCA 14402 does not differ from the one described and figured by Portis but according to our revision, it is actually a premaxilla of an undetermined acanthomorph fish. The name Palaeopython sardus Portis, 1901 is here considered as a nomen vanum since its holotype is not informative and it is not possible to diagnose a fish taxon on its basis or to refer it to an extant or extinct species. The booid snakes of Italy are therefore represented only by erycinae snakes that so far have been described only in localities with an age ranging from the Late Miocene to the Late Pliocene.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Palaeopython sardus.pdf
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