Macrovipera, Reuss, 1927

Venczel, Márton & Stiuc, Emanoil, 2008, Late middle Miocene amphibians and squamate reptiles from Taut ,, Romania, Geodiversitas 30 (4), pp. 731-763 : 759-760

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.4665621
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D08790-FFD9-FFF5-547D-A3C5FDD35468
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Macrovipera
status

Treatment

Macrovipera sp. ( Fig. 16G View FIG )

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — One presacral vertebra ( ISER Tt-0504).

DESCRIPTION

The only specimen belonged to a rather large but strongly damaged individual, in which the anterior and posterior portions of the neural arch, the paradiapophyses and the distal part of the hypapophysis are broken off. The centrum length is 8.18 mm, while the centrum width is 6.64 mm (centrum length/centrum width ratio = 1.23). The neural

arch is depressed and somewhat tilted posteriorly;

Venczel M. & Ştiucă E.

the remnants of the neural spine indicate that it was rather long. The remnant of the hypapophysis is directed posteroventrally and presumably was rather long.

REMARKS

The large absolute size of the vertebra and its relatively low centrum length/centrum width ratio is typical for the members of so called “Oriental vipers” ( Szyndlar & Rage 2002; Szyndlar 2005). However, for this group of snakes these authors retained the generic name Vipera Laurenti, 1768 . The oldest “Oriental vipers” appeared in Europe in the late early Miocene (MN 4) and they were present mainly in the southern part of the continent up to late Pliocene times ( Szyndlar & Rage 2002).