A new genus and species of giant mazzoid snake that lived in what is now India about 47 million years ago (early mid-Eocene epoch) has been identified from part of a vertebral column excavated in the Indian state of Gujarat.
with scientific name Vasuki Indicus the new species flourished during a warm geological period when average temperatures were estimated to be 28 degrees Celsius.
the ancient snake Matzoidae an extinct group of primarily Gondwanan land snakes, spanning a time range of approximately 100 million years from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene.
Paleontologists Debasjit Dutta and Sunil Bajpayee from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee said, “The Mazzoidae existed for about 100 million years, from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene, and has a wide geographical range including Africa, Europe, and India.” “They lived in the area,” he said.
“Vasuki Indicus “This represents a lineage of large matzoids that originated in the Indian subcontinent and spread through southern Europe to Africa during the Eocene epoch, approximately 56 to 34 million years ago.”
anterior trunk vertebrae Vasuki Indicus. Scale bar – 5 cm. Image credit: D. Datta & S. Bajpai, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58377-0.
A series of 27 well-preserved vertebrae from a fully grown animal. Vasuki Indicus It was recovered from the Panandro lignite mine, part of the Naledi Formation in Gujarat, western India.
The vertebrae are 3.75–6.3 cm (1.5–2.5 in) long and 6.24–11.14 cm (2.5–4.4 in) wide, suggesting a broad cylindrical body.
Vasuki Indicus Estimated lengths reach 11–15 m (36–49 ft), making this species the largest known mudsoid snake.
“This is comparable in size to the longest-living snake ever known, an extinct snake.” Titanoboa” said the researchers.
“The large size is Vasuki Indicus It was a slow-moving ambush predator, similar to an anaconda. “
“Biogeographical considerations, taken together with interactions with other Indian and North African madzoids, suggest that: Vasuki Indicus It represents a lineage of relics of Indian origin,” they added.
“The subsequent collision between India and Asia 50 million years ago led to intercontinental dispersal of this lineage from the subcontinent through southern Eurasia and into northern Africa.”
“Recovery of additional material and new species, including larger forms, may provide further insight into the phylogenetics and biogeography of madzoids.”
of study It was published in the magazine scientific report.
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D. Dutta and S. Bajpai. 2024. The largest known mudsoid snake lived in the warm Eocene of India, suggesting dispersal across Gondwana. science officer 14, 8054; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-58377-0
Source: www.sci.news
