1.15" Fossil Sea Snake (Palaeophis) Vertebra - Morocco

Fossil Sea Snake (Palaeophis) Vertebra - Morocco #227946

This is a 1.15" tall, fossil marine snake (Palaeophis maghrebianus) vertebra from the Lower Eocene aged phosphate deposits in Morocco. It's good-sized for the vertebra and the process is mostly intact.

Palaeophis is an extinct genus of sea snake that lived during the Eocene epoch. One species of this genus, Palaeophis maghrebianus, has been described from fossils found in the phosphate deposits of Morocco. While some species of the genus could reach immense sizes (30-40 feet in length), Palaeophis maghrebianus was much smaller. A paper describing this genus can be found below.

New highlights about the enigmatic marine snake Palaeophis maghrebianus (Palaeophiidae; Palaeophiinae) from the Ypresian (Lower Eocene) phosphates of Morocco