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March 14, 2026The Anatomical Record0 citations

Eocene constrictors (Serpentes; Alethinophidia) from western India: New taxonomic and paleobiogeographic insights

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DDDebajit DattaSBSunil Bajpai

Key Points

  • This study aims to identify new Eocene fossil snakes and explore their biogeographic significance in western India.
  • Morphological comparison of newly discovered fossil snakes with existing records
  • Size estimations of constrictors from different Eocene horizons
  • Analysis of biogeographic patterns in relation to geological history
  • Identification of potential new taxonomic groups within Eocene constrictors
  • Notable size differences between fossils from Cambay Shale and Panandhro
  • Evidence suggesting migration of constrictors into India from Europe or Asia during the Eocene.

Abstract

The Eocene fossiliferous horizons of western India are known for a remarkably diverse vertebrate fauna, including archaic mammals, squamates, and reptiles, which provide significant insights into the biogeographic history of the subcontinent. Here, we report new fossil snakes attributable to Constrictores Oppel, 1811 from the early Eocene (Ypresian, ~55 Ma) of Cambay Basin, Surat District, and the middle Eocene (Lutetian, ~47 Ma) horizons at Panandhro, Kutch District, Gujarat State, western India. Morphological comparison with previously described Indian fossil constrictors suggests that the material presented here not only supplements the existing record but may possibly represent new taxa. Size estimations reveal marked differences in body length between the Cambay Shale and Panandhro constrictors, which may reflect ecological and environmental differences between the two depositional settings. Biogeographic considerations suggest that the Indian Eocene constrictors likely represent immigrant lineages that possibly migrated into the subcontinent from Europe or Asia at the time of India-Asia collision (~55 Ma).

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Cite This Study

Datta et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69b4fbf9b39f7826a300c930https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.70174
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