.92" Fused Fossil Sea Snake (Palaeophis) Vertebrae - Morocco

Fused Fossil Sea Snake (Palaeophis) Vertebrae - Morocco #261599

These are two fused fossil marine snake (Palaeophis maghrebianus) vertebrae from the Lower Eocene-aged phosphate deposits in Morocco. They're good-sized considered the majority of these snake vertebrae are under 1/2", and the processes are partially 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