Natrix sp.

Syromyatnikova, Elena, Tesakov, Alexey, Mayda, Serdar, Kaya, Tanju & Saraç, Gerçek, 2019, Plio-Pleistocene Amphibians And Reptiles From Central Turkey: New Faunas And Faunal Records With Comments On Their Biochronological Position Based On Small Mammals, Fossil Imprint 75 (3 - 4), pp. 343-358 : 353

Natrix sp.

Text-fig. 6c

M a t e r i a l. One cervical vertebra, EUNHM PV-13240,

Hamamkarahisar B, early Pliocene, MN 14.

D e s c r i p t i o n. The specimen is represented by a single incomplete cervical vertebra. The vertebra is procoelous with an elongated centrum. The cotyle and condyle are circular. The neural spine is distinctly high, overhanging slightly anteriorly and strongly posteriorly. Although broken, the hypapophysis is directed ventrally rather than posteriorly. The parapophyses and diapophyses are preserved only on the left side. They are separated from each other. The parapophyseal processes are long and horizontally oriented, with rounded tips, and distinctly protrude anteriorly from the centrum.

R e m a r k s. The vertebra from Hamamkarahisar B can be identified as Natricinae (sensu Szyndlar 1991a) based on the following combination of features: presence of strong subcentral ridges and a hypapophysis. Cervicals of Natrix , have a distinctly high neural spine, which overhangs slightly anteriorly and strongly posteriorly ( Szyndlar 1984). But the parapophyseal processes of the vertebra are horizontally oriented (in contrast to antero-ventrally oriented parapophyseal processes in cervicals of Natrix ). The morphology of the parapophyseal processes (i.e. its rounded tips) could suggest the presence of N. natrix , whereas the parapophyseal processes in Natrix tesselata and N. maura have acute tips ( Szyndlar 1991a).

Figures

Text-fig. 6. Squamates: a – vertebra of Amphisbaenia indet. from Nasrettinhoca 1, in dorsal (a1), ventral (a2), lateral (a3), anterior (a4), and posterior (a5) views, EUNHM PV-13238; b – right maxilla of Lacertidae indet. from Nasrettinhoca 1, in lateral (b1) and medial (b2) views, EUNHM PV-13239; c – cervical vertebra of Natrix sp. from Hamamkarahisar B, in dorsal (c1), ventral (c2), lateral (c3), anterior (c4), andposterior (c5) views, EUNHM PV-13240; d – trunk vertebra of Natricinae indet. from Nasrettinhoca 2, in dorsal (d1), ventral (d2), lateral (d3), anterior (d4), and posterior (d5) views, EUNHM PV-13241; e – vertebra of cf. Colubrinae indet. from Yenişarbademli, in ventral (e1), dorsal (e2), and anterior (e3) views, EUNHM PV-13262. Scale equals 1 mm.