Abstract
The fossil record of squamates (i.e. lizards and snakes) from Greece is reviewed herein. Fossil remains of lizards and snakes in Greece date as back as the early Miocene. Their fossil record spans throughout most of the Neogene and the Quaternary and extends in several localities across both continental and insular parts of the country. All major squamate lineages that exist in the Greek herpetofauna have been identified in the fossil record of the area, with the exception of geckos. In addition, several “exotic” – now extirpated from Europe – groups existed in the country during the Neogene and the Quaternary. Although the majority of the existing fossil material has been identified only up to the family or genus level, few species have been erected from Greece. Such valid species include the varanid Varanus marathonensis, the pythonid Python euboicus, the colubrids Periergophis micros and Paraxenophis spanios, and the viperid Laophis crotaloides; all but the former are so far known exclusively from Greek localities.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to Hans de Bruijn and Wilma Wessels (University of Utrecht) for the loan of material—without the study of the material collected by the University of Utrecht that has resulted in a number of different publications, this current review paper would have been definitely much shorter. GLG acknowledges support from Forschungskredit of the University of Zurich, grant no. [FK-20-110]. The quality of the manuscript was enhanced by useful comments and suggestions provided by the two reviewers, Andrea Villa and Elena Syromyatnikova.
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Appendix
Appendix
List of the Greek localities containing squamate fossils. Locality numbers refer to the collection numbers of the PalaeoBiology Database (PBDB)
Locality | Age (MN) | Taxa |
---|---|---|
Pili B204953 | Late Quaternary | Eryx jaculus1 |
Gerani Cave195229 | Late Pleistocene | Natrix cf. tessellata2 |
Bate Cave183122 | Late Pleistocene | Podarcis cf. erhardii3, Hierophis cf. gemonensis3 |
Tourkobounia 534592 | Middle Pleistocene | Varanus sp.1,4, Scolecophidia indet.1,4 |
Tourkobounia 234767 | Middle Pleistocene | Elaphe quatuorlineata1, Zamenis situla1 Scolecophidia indet.1 |
Latomi204077 | Middle Pleistocene | Lacertidae indet.5, “Colubrinae” indet.5, Eryx jaculus5, Natricinae indet. 5, “Oriental vipers complex” indet.5 |
Kaiafas34766 | Early Pleistocene | Lacertidae indet. (A)6, Lacertidae indet. (B)6, Lacertidae indet.6, Laterata indet. or Scinciformata indet.6, Ophiomorus sp.6, Pseudopus sp.6, Squamata indet.6, “Colubrinae” indet.6 |
Tourkobounia 134589 | late Pliocene (MN16) | Naja sp.1,2,7, Malpolon sp.1,2,7, Scolecophidia indet.1,2,7, “Oriental vipers complex” indet.1,2,7 |
Spilia-431229 | early Pliocene (MN15) | Amphisbaenia indet.8 |
Vorio 8207964 | early Pliocene (MN15) | Caenophidia indet.9 |
Vorio 3A205086 | early Pliocene (MN15) | Natrix sp.9, Caenophidia indet.9 |
Vorio 3205086 | early Pliocene (MN15) | Natrix sp.9, Caenophidia indet.9 |
Megalo Emvolon36579 | early Pliocene (MN15) | Laophis crotaloides10,11 |
Vorio 2207948 | early Pliocene (MN14) | Natrix sp.9 |
Vorio 1205087 | early Pliocene (MN14) | Natrix sp.9 |
Maritsa68046 | early Pliocene (MN14) | cf. Eryx sp.1, Scolecophidia indet.1 |
Maramena32189 | late Miocene/early Pliocene (MN13/14) | Agaminae indet.12,14, Lacertidae indet.14, ?Lacertidae indet.14, aff. Palaeocordylus sp.12,14, ?Scincidae indet.14, Anguis sp.14, Ophisaurus sp. (morph. 1–5)12,14, Pseudopus sp.14, Anguinae indet.14, Varanus sp.14, Hierophis cf. hungaricus14, Paraxenophis spanios14, Periergophis micros14, “Colubrinae” indet. (morph. 1)14, Natrix aff. rudabanyaensis14, Natrix sp.14, cf. Micrurus sp.14, Naja sp.14, Scolecophidia indet.14, “Oriental vipers complex” indet.13,14 |
Tomea Eksi 2205088 | late Miocene (MN13) | Lacertidae indet.9, Laterata or Scinciformata indet.9, Squamata indet.9, “Colubrinae” indet.9, Natricinae indet.9, Colubridae indet.9, Caenophidia indet.9 |
Tomea Eksi 1205089 | late Miocene (MN13) | Lacertidae indet.9, Squamata indet.9, Natricinae indet.9, Caenophidia indet.9 |
Komanos 1205083–84 | late Miocene (MN13) | Anguinae indet.9 |
Ano Metochi 231924 | late Miocene (MN13) | Lacertidae indet.15, aff. Palaeocordylus sp.15, Ophisaurus sp.15, Anguinae indet.15, Natrix sp.15, Serpentes indet.15 |
Ano Metochi 331928 | late Miocene (MN13) | Lacertidae indet.15, aff. Palaeocordylus sp.15, Ophisaurus sp.15, Anguinae indet.15, cf. Dolichophis sp.15, “Colubrinae” indet.15, Natrix sp.15, Scolecophidia indet.15, Viperidae indet.14,15 |
Pikermi (including both classical locality and Chomateri and PV1 sites) 182754, 195562, 202630 | late Miocene (MN11–13) | Lacertidae indet.16, ?Anguinae indet.16, Varanus marathonensis20–22, Varanus sp.16–19, ?Erycidae indet.16, Colubridae indet.16, Squamata indet.16 |
Mytilinii95691 | late Miocene (late MN11 – early MN13) | Varanus marathonensis22,23 |
Ravin de la Pluie191070 | late Miocene (MN10) | ?Anguinae indet.24, Varanus sp.24, “Colubrinae” indet.24, Naja cf. romani24 |
Plakias183151 | late Miocene (MN9) | Amphisbaenia indet.25, ?Natricinae indet.25 |
Aliveri68032 | early Miocene (MN4a) | Chamaeleo cf. andrusovi27, Chamaeleonidae indet.26, Lacertidae indet.27, Laterata indet. Or Scinciformata indet.27, Anguinae indet.27, Colubridae indet.27, Viperidae indet.27, Serpentes indet.27 |
Karydia69435 | early Miocene (MN4a) | Lacertidae indet.27, Laterata indet. or Scinciformata indet.27, cf. Ophisaurus sp.27, Anguinae indet.27, Colubridae indet.27, Serpentes indet.27 |
Kymi206392 | early Miocene (MN3/4) | Python euboicus28 |
Lapsarna186558 | early Miocene (?MN3) | Lacertidae indet.29, ?Natricinae indet.29, Serpentes indet.29, Squamata indet.29 |
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Georgalis, G.L., Delfino, M. (2022). The Fossil Record of Lizards and Snakes (Reptilia: Squamata) in Greece. In: Vlachos, E. (eds) Fossil Vertebrates of Greece Vol. 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68398-6_7
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