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We here describe lizards and snakes from the late Miocene (MN 10) of Ravin de la Pluie, near Thessaloniki, Greece, a locality widely known for its hominoid primate Ouranopithecus macedoniensis. The new finds comprise two large-sized lizards (a probable anguine and a varanid) and two snakes (an elapid and a small-sized “colubrine”). Even if the material is represented by few specimens, this is the first record of squamates from the late Miocene MN 10 biozone of southeastern Europe and the third only for the whole continent. The importance of the varanid vertebrae for systematic attributions is discussed. The new varanid limb elements described herein rank among the few such specimens in the fossil record of monitor lizards. Judging from the new and previously published varanid appendicular material, we suggest that Neogene monitor lizards from Europe possessed comparatively short and robustly built limbs. Distinctive scars on one of the limb elements are interpreted as bite marks of a predator or scavenger, offering insights on the palaeoecology of the herpetofauna of the locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lissamphibians (frogs, salamanders, caecilians, and the extinct Albanerpetontidae) have a near global distribution. Africa, its associated islands (especially Madagascar and the Seychelles) and the Arabian Plate are home to about 27 families (including 15 endemic) and 1135 species of extant lissamphibians or about 38 and 15 %, respectively, of the global totals. The region also contains an extensive, but patchy and somewhat under-appreciated fossil record. Based on published and unpublished information, we provide here the most comprehensive review to date of the lissamphibian fossil record from the region. We also discuss the insights those occurrences provide into past distributions and diversities of lissamphibians in the region and the establishment of the modern fauna. Our review relies on occurrence data from 93 sets of localities of basal Triassic through Holocene age, distributed across 23 countries. As with the modern lissamphibian fauna of the region, the fossil record is dominated by frogs, but there also are notable occurrences of other lissamphibians, including several genera of enigmatic Cretaceous salamanders, one of two known stem caecilians, and the only Gondwanan records for albanerpetontids. Africa is one of only two continents (the other being North America) to have occurrences for all four lissamphibian clades. Twenty named and currently accepted fossil lissamphibian species are recognised from the region: one stem and 14 crown frogs (11 or possibly 12 of which are pipimorphs, 1 alytid, and 1 neobatrachian possibly referable to the otherwise exclusively South American families Ceratophryidae or Calyptocephalellidae); three salamanders; one stem caecilian; and one albanerpetontid. Additional and as yet unnamed taxa are represented in existing collections, and others undoubtedly remain to be discovered. Of the 27 extant lissamphibian families currently recognised from the region, 12 of 22 frog families (including five endemics: Brevicipitidae, Heleophrynidae, Hyperoliidae, Ptychadenidae, and Pyxicephalidae) and the sole salamander family (Salamandridae) have fossil records; at present, none of the known caecilian fossils can be assigned with confidence to any of the four extant families currently recognised in the region. The biogeographic histories of lissamphibians in Africa, its associated islands and the Arabian Plate are characterised by vicariant and dispersal events related to the complex palaeogeographic history of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squamates first appeared in Europe in the Middle Jurassic. They were lizards that already included some crown-group members. Faunas of the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous were more or less a continuation of the Middle Jurassic assemblage. The early Late Cretaceous was characterised by a peculiar fauna of marine pythonomorphs, while terrestrial forms were rare. In the subsequent levels of the Late Cretaceous, marine forms were mainly mosasaurids; terrestrial assemblages heralding modern ones began to take form during the Campanian–Maastrichtian. The Cretaceous–Tertiary event did not strongly affect squamates in Europe. After poor Paleocene faunas, a big wave of dispersals reached Europe during a marked rise in temperature at the beginning of the Eocene (MP 7). The Eocene fauna was rich, diverse and of tropical type. In western Europe, a sharp extinction event (‘Grande Coupure’) eliminated most squamates at the end of the Eocene, but its impact in central and eastern Europe is unknown. The Oligocene fauna was transitional between the ‘old’ Eocene and the modern Miocene faunas. By the late early Miocene (MN 3–MN 4), the fauna markedly changed when an important wave of dispersals entered Europe during a climatic optimum. From the late middle Miocene onward, the temperature has dropped. As a consequence, faunas became less rich and regionalisation occurred. Numerous extinctions and withdrawals took place during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, leaving an impoverished fauna in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fauna of amphibians and squamates during the Eocene in western Europe resulted initially from the addition of an old, ante-Eocene fauna, and of a new fauna that arrived as a big wave of dispersals at the beginning of the Eocene (MP 7). These dispersals were likely favoured by the tropical climate. The fauna, as a whole, included taxa with Laurasian affinities, some of which indicate relationships with North America. However, some taxa showed South American affinities. The subsequent fauna (MP 8+9 and MP 10) developed from that of MP 7 and was not affected by peculiar events. The fauna of the MP 11-MP 15 interval (middle Eocene) is poorly known. The last interval (MP 16-MP 19 +20, latest middle and late Eocene) is characterised by a rich and diverse fauna, despite temperatures lower than that of the early Eocene. This fauna perhaps partly originated during the preceding interval. Richness and diversity resulted from dispersals and local radiations; autochthonous forms were apparently rather frequent. This fauna still included taxa with South and North American affinities. At the end of the Eocene, there occurred a prominent extinction event, the 'Grande Coupure'. Most taxa were eliminated, at least in western Europe; they survived elsewhere, permitting subsequent repopulation. The Grande Coupure was a pivotal event. Before it, the faunas were indicative of warm climates and included American components; after the Grande Coupure, the faunas that progressively repopulated Europe were indicative of less warm climates and no longer included American forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on a study concerning the geological and palaeontological context of the Miocene Toros-Menalla hominid fossil found in Chad, Central Africa. Sedimentology of the fossil; Biochronology; Information on the environmental reconstruction of the fossil.

The Neogene Siwalik deposits of Jammu Province (India) have yielded amphibians and squamates. The collection includes the first amphibians and the first colubroid snakes from the Siwalik Group. Amphibians comprise only anurans: a possible Ranidae and one, or perhaps two, non-ranid frogs Squamates include one lizard, Varanus sp. (Varanidae), whereas snakes are represented by three taxa: Acrochordus dehmi (Acrochordidae), an indeterminate Colubridae, and a snake that is either a Colubridae or an Elapidae. Varanus sp. and A. dehmi have been yielded by the Upper Miocene Ramnagar Member, whereas the anurans and colubroid snakes come from the Upper Pliocene Labli Member. These taxa are indicative of aquatic palaeoenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borioteiioidea are an enigmatic group of Cretaceous lizards widely distributed in northern continents (Laurasia). Here, we describe the first borioteiioid lizard from Gondwana, represented by a new species of the polyglyphanodontine genus Bicuspidon, B. hogreli sp. nov., from the Cenomanian Kem Kem beds of Morocco. The discovery of Bicuspidon hogreli sp. nov., which is one of the oldest known member of Polyglyphanodontini, challenges previous assumptions on the center of origin and dispersal of the group. In addition, the known distribution of Bicuspidon (Cenomanian of Utah and Morocco, and Santonian-Maastrichtian of eastern Europe) suggests a complex palaeobiogeographical history for the genus. The existence of a terrestrial dispersal route persisting during the whole Early Cretaceous between North America and Africa is hypothesized to explain some similarities observed between the Cenomanian squamate assemblages of these two continents. Alternatively, dispersal between the two landmasses may have occurred by transatlantic rafting. During the Cenomanian-Santonian interval, Bicuspidon colonized the European archipelago probably from North Africa, like many “Eurogondwanan” taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]