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Psammophis odysseus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Psammophis odysseus
Temporal range: Late Miocene, 5.5 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Psammophiidae
Genus: Psammophis
Species:
P. odysseus
Binomial name
Psammophis odysseus
Georgalis and Szyndlar, 2022[1]

Psammophis odysseus is an extinct species of terrestrial snake belonging to the family Psammophiidae.[1] It lived around 5.5 million years ago and was discovered in Salobreña, Spain by Georgios Georgalis. It is believed to have inhabited Africa and migrated to Eurasia.

Studies

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The original fossils discovered of the species are held at Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid, Spain. It was studied on by several scientists working on a project for the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Georgalis, Georgios L.; Szyndlar, Zbigniew (22 February 2022). "First occurrence of Psammophis (Serpentes) from Europe witnesses another Messinian herpetofaunal dispersal from Africa – biogeographic implications and a discussion of the vertebral morphology of psammophiid snakes". The Anatomical Record: ar.24892. doi:10.1002/ar.24892.
  2. ^ "Psammophis Odysseus: Greek Professor Names Prehistoric Snake "in Honour" Of Odysseus". greekcitytimes.com. Greek City Times. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.