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Swiss Journal of Geosciences

Table 2 Geographic and stratigraphic distribution of the largest European fossil viperids, along with their respective maximum vertebral CL

From: New material of Laophis crotaloides, an enigmatic giant snake from Greece, with an overview of the largest fossil European vipers

Taxon

Locality

Age

Maximum centrum length (CL) (mm)

References

Laophis crotaloides (KB 3 specimen)

Megalo Emvolon, Greece

Early Pliocene (MN 15)

16.30

This study

Laophis crotaloides (lost holotype)

Megalo Emvolon, Greece

Early Pliocene (MN 15)

15

Owen (1857) and Szyndlar (1991)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Na Burguesa-1 (Mallorca), Spain

Pliocene (MN 15/MN 16)

15a

Torres et al. (2014)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Calo den Rafelino (Mallorca), Spain

Pliocene (MN 15/MN 16)

12.70

Bailon et al. (2010)

Daboia maxima (‘Daboia complex’)

Layna, Spain

Early Pliocene (MN 15)

11.80

Szyndlar (1988) and Szyndlar and Rage (1999)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Langenau, Germany

Early Miocene (MN 4)

10.50

Szyndlar and Rage (1999)

Viperidae indet. (‘Daboia complex’)

Vieux-Collonges, France

Early to middle Miocene (MN 4/MN 5)

10.20

Szyndlar and Rage (1999)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Tourkobounia 1, Greece

Late Pliocene (MN 16)

10.10

Szyndlar (1991)

Macrovipera lebetina (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Aetokremnos, Cyprus

Holocene

10.07

Bailon (1999)

Viperidae indet. (‘Oriental vipers complex’)

Vallée de la Canterrane, France

Pliocene (undetermined)

9.67

Bailon (1991)

Macrovipera sarmatica (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Calfa, Moldova

Late Miocene (MN 9)

9.40

Zerova et al. (1987) and Szyndlar (1991)

Macrovipera kuchurganica (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Kuchurgan, Ukraine

Early Pliocene (MN 14)

9.10

Zerova et al. (1987) and Szyndlar (1991)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

La Grive, France

Middle Miocene (MN 7/MN 8)

8.70

Szyndlar and Rage (1999)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Rustavi, Georgia

Late Miocene (MN 10)

8.60

Zerova et al. (1987) and Szyndlar and Rage (2002)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Artenay, France

Early Miocene (MN 4)

8.60

Szyndlar and Rage (1999)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Iles Medas, Spain

Late Pliocene (MN 16)

8.40

Bailon (1991)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Steinheim, Germany

Middle Miocene (MN 7/MN 8)

8.30

Szyndlar and Rage (1999)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Maramena, Greece

Late Miocene (MN 13)

8.10

Szyndlar (1995)

Viperidae indet. (‘oriental vipers complex’)

Sandelzhausen, Germany

Middle Miocene (MN 6)

8.10

Szyndlar and Rage (1999)

  1. aIt is not possible to know the CL of the Na Burguesa-1 vertebra because it is incomplete. Torres et al. (2014) provide a measurement of the distance from the anterior tip to the prezygapophysis to the posterior tip of the postzygapophysis: 15.1 mm. This distance is smaller than the CL in viperid snakes, a fact that was also reevaluated by additional measurements in the vertebrae of Agkistrodon piscivorus (MDHC 103), Bitis rhinoceros (MDHC 100) and Macrovipera lebetina (MDHC 317)
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