Eophis

E-oh-fiss.
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Emily Green

Paleobotanist

Emily Green brings the ancient world of plants to life through her insightful research and engaging writing. Her expertise lies in examining how prehistoric vegetation influenced climate patterns and animal evolution.

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Name

Eophis ‭(‬dawn snake‭)‬.

Phonetic

E-oh-fiss.

Named By

M.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Caldwell,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Nydam,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Palci‭ & ‬S.‭ ‬N.‭ ‬Apestegu�a‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Squamata,‭ ‬Ophidia.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

E.‭ ‬underwoodi‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

United kingdom,‭ ‬England‭ ‬-‭ ‬Forest Marble Formation.

Time Period

Bathonian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Well preserved remains.

In Depth

       At the time of its description in‭ ‬2015,‭ ‬Eophis was known as one of the oldest snakes to appear.‭ ‬So early and primitive is Eophis,‭ ‬that this snake still had four legs,‭ ‬all very small and underdeveloped,‭ ‬but visibly present none the less.‭ ‬Despite these primitive features,‭ ‬Eophis already has a snake like head.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬The oldest known snakes from the Middle Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous provide insights on snake evolution.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Nature Communications.‭ ‬6‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Caldwell,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Nydam,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Palci‭ & ‬S.‭ ‬N.‭ ‬Apestegu�a‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT