Eocene sea snake

[greel]

I found this worn vertebrae at the Rocky Point quarry in North Carolina.  It was recently identified by some experts as from an Eocene sea snake - Palaeophis.  Does anyone know the specific species of Eocene sea snakes found in the Castle Hayne formation?  How big a snake would be associated with a 1 inch vert?

[greel]

Opposite end (concave).

[FossilDAWG]

Wow, nice fossil!

 

Perhaps this paper can help you answer your question.

 

Don

Parmley & Reed 2003 Eocene Palaeopheid snakes.pdf

[ynot]

cool find!!

Tony

[greel]

Thanks Don.  That link is terrific!  Been google searching pdf papers under fossil sea snakes, but not seen anything as good as this.

 

-greel

[FossilDAWG]

Oddly enough I just stumbled across it yesterday.  I was looking for references for some Georgia Eocene fossils I collected from a (sadly) now reclaimed kaolin mine.

 

Don

[siteseer]

7 hours ago, greel said:

I found this worn vertebrae at the Rocky Point quarry in North Carolina.  It was recently identified by some experts as from an Eocene sea snake - Palaeophis.  Does anyone know the specific species of Eocene sea snakes found in the Castle Hayne formation?  How big a snake would be associated with a 1 inch vert?

 

 

Great specimen and big for a snake vertebra.  I have the Weems article (#13 in the list of references in the linked article) and you should get that too if you don't already.  It's part of a collection of articles reviewing the flora and fauna of the Fisher-Sullivan site (Early Eocene) in Virginia - a site now lost to development.  In the Weems article body size based on isolated vertebrae is discussed as well.  Vertebrae ranging from 3-18mm are said to indicate boy lengths of 1.5 to 13 feet (juveniles to adults).

 

A larger vertebra belonging to other species of Palaeophis are also noted in the Weems paper.