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Abstract: In Europe, faunas of squamates (lizards and snakes) from the middle Eocene are very poorly known, with the exception of those from the level MP 16 (latest middle Eocene). From the MP 11–MP 15 interval, squamates were previously reported only from Messel (MP 11, earliest middle Eocene) and from the untere and obere Mittelkohle of Geiseltal (MP 12 and MP 13 respectively) in Germany. The present report describes the middle Eocene assemblage of squamates from Lissieu (France), the first fauna reported from the level MP 14. Whereas fossils from Messel and Geiseltal are mostly articulated skeletons, fossils from Lissieu are represented by disarticulated bones; such fossils may be more easily compared to those from other Cenozoic localities, in which bones are almost always disarticulated. The fauna from Lissieu is more diverse than those from the Geiseltal sites and approximately as diverse as that from Messel as they are presently known; it is comprised of 17 distinct taxa. These taxa cannot be all identified to the species or genus level. They belong to iguanids, gekkonids, lacertids, anguids, thecoglossan platynotans, ophidians incertae sedis, boids, ?tropidophiines, “tropidophiids”incertae sedis, booids incertae sedis, and perhaps russellophiids. The fauna includes several new taxa but only a presumed tropidophiine snake may be named on the basis of the available material. The fauna from Lissieu is a mixture of taxa restricted to the middle Eocene and taxa known from older or younger levels. Taxa shared by Lissieu and the few other localities from the middle Eocene of Europe are rare. This fauna from Lissieu represents a stratigraphical landmark for the middle Eocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Togay, a locality from Ol’khon Island, Baykal Lake, Russia, has yielded a fauna of snakes of Late Middle or early Late Miocene age. It is located in a broad area from which no Neogene snake has been reported; therefore, it represents an important landmark. The fauna includes a non-erycine boid, two or three colubrids, a viperid of the ‘oriental complex’ of Vipera, and perhaps another viperid. This assemblage is astonishingly reminiscent of the snake faunas from the late Early and early Middle Miocene from western and central Europe, it being understood that Miocene faunas are practically unknown in the geographically intermediary area. It may be entertained whether a homogenous snake fauna inhabited Eurasia (except the southern part of the continent) during the Miocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The diversity of booid snakes strongly decreased during the Latest Oligocene (zones MP 29–30) and Early Miocene (zones MN 1–2, and perhaps MN 3) in Europe. Moreover, the few remaining taxa were all small and displayed fossorial trends. This crisis is referred to as the Dark Period of booid snakes. The outset of this event probably resulted from cooling and aridization that were prevailing during the Late Oligocene. The period ended when a warm and humid climate was restored; aside from direct effect, the latter change caused the arrival of immigrants that probably contributed to the elimination of the booids of the Dark Period. To cite this article: J.-C. Rage, Z. Szyndlar, C. R. Palevol 4 (2005) . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The history of the faunas of anurans during the Tertiary and Quaternary in Europe is presented. Two families (Discoglossidae and Palaeobatrachidae) were recorded from the Cretaceous of Europe and both survived the Cretaceous/Tertiary crisis. The earliest known Tertiary anurans, represented by the Discoglossidae and perhaps Palaeobatrachidae, come from Hainin, Belgium (middle Paleocene). Only the Bufonidae appear to join them before the end of the Paleocene, however, they subsequently disappeared only to re-appear at the beginning of the Miocene. The paucity of Paleocene data is due to a lack of fossiliferous strata, rather than a post-Cretaceous discontinuity of the anuran fauna. Europe and North America were separated by the Atlantic Ocean in the early Eocene (50 Ma) and climate at that time was tropical. Ranidae, Pelobatidae, Pelodytidae, Leptodactylidae appeared in the Eocene; the last family was represented by the genus Thaumastosaurus which is a Gondwanan element. Others were either immigrants, probably from Asia, or originated in Europe (Pelodytidae) or in North America (Pelobatidae). Supposed temporary presence of the Microhylidae and Rhacophoridae in the European Eocene requires further confirmation. A drop of temperature at the end of the Eocene (one of the causes of a crisis called the 'Grande Coupure') is associated with the definitive disappearance of the Leptodactylidae in Europe and of palaeobatrachids from the region of the British Isles, as well as the temporary disappearance of the pelodytids (until they re-appear in the Miocene). During the Oligocene, the European anuran fauna was comparatively stable, only forms belonging to the group of green frogs (Ranidae) appeared in the early Oligocene. In the early Miocene, the Hylidae appeared, whereas the Pelodytidae and Bufonidae... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]