Kataria

Kah-tah-re-ah.
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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

Kataria.

Phonetic

Kah-tah-re-ah.

Named By

A.‭ ‬Scanferla,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Zaher,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Novas,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Muizon‭ & ‬R.‭ ‬Cespedes‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Ophidia,‭ ‬Serpentes,‭ ‬Macrostomata.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

K.‭ ‬anisodonta‭

Size

Uncertain due to lack of remains,‭ ‬but holotype skull is‭ ‬7‭ ‬millimetres long.

Known locations

Bolivia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Santa Luc�a Formation.

Time Period

Danian of the Paleocene.

Fossil representation

A partial but articulated skull.

In Depth

       Kataria was a macrostomatan snake that lived in Bolivia during the Danian stage of the Paleocene.‭ ‬At the time of its description,‭ ‬Kataria was the oldest macrostomatan snake known from South America.‭ ‬As a macrostomatan snake,‭ ‬Kataria would be expected to be able to disarticulate its jaw so that it could swallow larger prey.

Further Reading

– A New Snake Skull from the Paleocene of Bolivia Sheds Light on the Evolution of Macrostomatans,‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Scanferla,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Zaher,‭ ‬F.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Novas,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Muizon‭ & ‬R.‭ ‬Cespedes‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT