ABSTRACT
We here report an anterior trunk vertebra of a large snake that we tentatively refer to Palaeophis africanus. The vertebra comes from lower middle Eocene deposits of the El Breij Depression, in the Sahara Desert of southern Morocco. It is principally characterised by weak lateral compression; horizontality of the cotyle-condyle axis; dorsoventrally thick zygosphene; lower pterapophyses with an upper edge that remains lower than that of the zygosphene in lateral view; a rather reduced neural canal; very distinct and prominent interzygapophyseal crests; low position of the diapophyses; and the presence of two hypapophyses. This occurrence adds to the geographic distribution of Palaeophis africanus, which has been formerly identified from Nigeria, Togo, Angola, and South America, and represents an additional Palaeophis species for the Moroccan fossil record.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).