Simalia Gray, 1849

Material examined.

Simalia amethistina (Schneider, 1801) (QM J51148); Simalia boeleni (Brongersma, 1953) (SMF PH 110).

Description (Figs 162-167).

Trunk vertebrae. Centrum much shorter than wide; cotyle and condyle orbicular or moderately (ventrally) depressed; neural arch vaulted or moderately vaulted; posterior median notch of the neural arch deep; neural spine of medium height; prezygapophyseal accessory processes vestigial or very short; hypapophyses disappearing after V 70 ( Simalia boeleni) or between V 80 and V 90 ( Simalia amethistina); haemal keel in more posterior vertebrae moderately developed and moderately broad; paracotylar foramina absent.

Trunk / caudal transition. A hypapophysis, that appears in the last trunk vertebra, diminishes gradually in size in more posterior vertebrae; in the last cloacal vertebra(e) or first caudal vertebra it can be considered a haemal keel, with flattened (slightly grooved in Simalia amethistina and Simalia boeleni) posterior end. Haemapophyses (unpaired unilateral in S. amethistina) first appear on the second caudal vertebra (Fig. 167).

Number of vertebrae. Simalia amethistina (QM J51148): 416 (355+4+57, including a final fusion); Simalia boeleni (SMF PH 110): 378 (305+5+68).

Data from literature: Simalia amethistina: 323 trunk vertebrae plus 106 cloacal and caudal vertebrae (Nopcsa 1923); Simalia amethistina: 318-322 ± 5 trunk and cloacal vertebrae plus 118-119 ± 1 caudal vertebrae (Alexander and Gans 1966); Simalia amethistina: 322 trunk vertebrae plus 10 cloacal vertebrae (apparently erroneous) plus 92 caudal vertebrae (Rochebrune 1881); Simalia boeleni: 360-363 vertebrae in total (Parmley and Reed 2003).