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Archaerhineura
''Archaerhineura'' was a genus of amphisbaenian lizards in the family Rhineuridae that is now extinct. The only species is ''Archaerhineura mephitis'', named in 2015 on the basis of a single fragment of the lower jaw from the Polecat Bench Formation in Park County, Wyoming, which dates to the late Paleocene (about 57 to 58 million years ago). ''Archaerhineura'' is one of the oldest amphisbaenians and was part of an evolutionary radiation of Rhineuridae in the Paleocene several million years after the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (the only surviving member of Rhineuridae is ''Rhineura floridana'', which lives in Florida). This rhineurid radiation coincided with the radiation of another group of amphisbaenians, Amphisbaeniformes, which includes the still-extant families Blanidae and Amphisbaenidae. The presence of ''Archaerhineura'' and other Paleocene rhineurids in the western United States indicates that amphisbaenians, which would later have a nearly global distributio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhineuridae
Rhineuridae is a family of amphisbaenians (commonly called worm lizards) that includes one living genus and species, ''Rhineura floridana'', as well as many extinct species belonging to both ''Rhineura'' and several extinct genera. The living ''R. floridana'' is found only in Georgia and Florida, but extinct species ranged across North America, some occurring as far west as Oregon. The family has a fossil record stretching back 60 million years to the Paleocene and was most diverse in the continental interior during the Eocene and Oligocene. Fossil record The fossil record of the Rhineuridae extends back almost to the Mesozoic, with the oldest rhineurid, '' Plesiorhineura tsentasai'', occurring in the Early Paleocene. ''Plesiorhineura'' is only known from a partial jaw, but it shares many features with modern rhineurids. Eocene rhineurids, such as '' Spathorhynchus fossorium'', are remarkably similar to the modern ''Rhineura'', suggesting very conservative evolution within the fam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paleocene
The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek ''palaiós'' meaning "old" and the Eocene Epoch (which succeeds the Paleocene), translating to "the old part of the Eocene". The epoch is bracketed by two major events in Earth's history. The K–Pg extinction event, brought on by an asteroid impact and possibly volcanism, marked the beginning of the Paleocene and killed off 75% of living species, most famously the non-avian dinosaurs. The end of the epoch was marked by the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), which was a major climatic event wherein about 2,500–4,500 gigatons of carbon were released into the atmosphere and ocean systems, causing a spike in global temperatures and ocean acidification. In the Paleocene, the continents of the Northern Hemisphere were still connected v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chthonophis Subterraneus
''Chthonophis'' (meaning "snake beneath the earth", from the Ancient Greek, Greek ''chthonios'' ("beneath the earth") and ''ophis'' ("snake")) is an extinct genus of amphisbaenian lizard with only one known species, ''Chthonophis subterraneus'', from the earliest Paleocene of northeastern Montana. ''Chthonophis'' was named in 2015 on the basis of a partial lower jaw from an outcrop of the Fort Union Formation in the Bug Creek Anthills. The surfaces of the bone are well-rounded, suggesting that the remains had been partially digested by another animal before the jaw had been buried and fossilized. ''Chthonophis'' is the oldest known amphisbaenian, yet phylogenetic analysis shows that it was not the most basal (phylogenetics), basal. Longrich ''et al.'' (2015) classified ''Chthonophis'' in its own family, Chthonophidae, finding it to be more derived than Rhineuridae but more basal than other clades such as Blanidae and Amphisbaenidae (which together make up Amphisbaeniformes). The ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chthonophidae
''Chthonophis'' (meaning "snake beneath the earth", from the Greek ''chthonios'' ("beneath the earth") and ''ophis'' ("snake")) is an extinct genus of amphisbaenian lizard with only one known species, ''Chthonophis subterraneus'', from the earliest Paleocene of northeastern Montana. ''Chthonophis'' was named in 2015 on the basis of a partial lower jaw from an outcrop of the Fort Union Formation in the Bug Creek Anthills. The surfaces of the bone are well-rounded, suggesting that the remains had been partially digested by another animal before the jaw had been buried and fossilized. ''Chthonophis'' is the oldest known amphisbaenian, yet phylogenetic analysis shows that it was not the most basal. Longrich ''et al.'' (2015) classified ''Chthonophis'' in its own family, Chthonophidae, finding it to be more derived than Rhineuridae but more basal than other clades such as Blanidae and Amphisbaenidae (which together make up Amphisbaeniformes). The existence of a derived amphisbaenia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhineura Marslandensis
''Rhineura floridana'', known commonly as the Florida worm lizard, graveyard snake, Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR (1978). ''Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition''. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. xi + 378 pp. . (''Rhineura floridana'', p. 277, Figure 15-2). or thunderworm, is a species of amphisbaeninan in the family Rhineuridae. The species is the only extant member of the genus ''Rhineura'', and is found primarily in Florida but has been recorded in Lanier County, Georgia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid. Description ''R. floridana'' varies in total length (including tail) from . The head has a shovel-like snout that projects forward past the lower jaws, which is used for burrowing. The eyes are highly reduced and not visible externally. The limbs are absent and, as in other Amphisbaenia, the body is covered by scales arranged in rings giving the animal a worm-like appearance. Habitat The preferred natural habitats of ''R. floridana'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhineura Sepultra
''Rhineura'' is a genus of worm lizard endemic to North America. The genus has only one extant species but more are known from fossil record. They are also known as the North American worm lizards. History This genus has a fossil record dating back to at least the Early Miocene, although if '' Protorhineura hatcherii'' is classified as belonging to ''Rhineura'' (as it has in the past), the record extends back well into the Oligocene. While the extant Florida worm lizard is largely restricted to northern Florida, the genus was for more widespread in the past, with the extinct ''R. marslandensis'' and ''R. sepultura'' known from the Miocene of Nebraska and South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ..., respectively. References {{taxonbar, from=Q12901814 Amphi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhineura Wilsoni
''Rhineura'' is a genus of worm lizard endemic to North America. The genus has only one extant species but more are known from fossil record. They are also known as the North American worm lizards. History This genus has a fossil record dating back to at least the Early Miocene, although if '' Protorhineura hatcherii'' is classified as belonging to ''Rhineura'' (as it has in the past), the record extends back well into the Oligocene. While the extant Florida worm lizard is largely restricted to northern Florida, the genus was for more widespread in the past, with the extinct ''R. marslandensis'' and ''R. sepultura'' known from the Miocene of Nebraska and South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ..., respectively. References {{taxonbar, from=Q12901814 Amphi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyporhina Galbreathi
''Hyporhina'' is an extinct genus of amphisbaenians or worm lizards that lived from the Late Eocene to the Middle Oligocene (approximately 40 to 30 million years ago) in what is now the western United States. Species It currently includes two species, both from the White River Formation in eastern Wyoming and northeastern Colorado: * ''Hyporhina antiqua'' — the type species. * ''Hyporhina galbreathi'' * ''Hyporhina tertia'' — a third species named in 1972, and later synonymized with ''Hyporhina galbreathi''. Taxonomy Paleontologist Georg Baur named the genus ''Hyporhina'' in 1893, making it one of the first prehistoric amphisbaenians to be described. Baur placed it in its own family, Hyporhinidae, because it possessed eye sockets that are enclosed at the back by postorbital bars, a feature that living amphisbaenians lack. However, more recent studies have placed it within Rhineuridae, a family that includes the living ''Rhineura floridana ''Rhineura floridana'', known ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
