Comparative anatomy fo South American Boinae snakes (Serpentes, Boidae): an osteological approach for application in vertebrate Paleontology

• Grant number: 12/04397-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: November 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Paleozoology
• Principal Investigator: Annie Schmaltz Hsiou
• Grantee: Gabriel José Teixeira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 11/14080-0 - Cretaceous and Tertiary (Paleogene/Neogene) Squamates (Reptilia, Lepidosauria) from the Bauru, Aiuruoca and Acre basins: systematics, evolution and palaeoenvironments, AP.JP

Abstract

Despite the uncertain ancestrality, the modern snakes are considered a monophyletic group and include two sister groups: the Scolecophidia and the Alethinophidia. The Scolecophidia are basal snakes, commonly known as being "blind snakes"; and the Alethinophidia, are much more diversified, and subdivided into two clades, Anilioidea and Macrostomata. Among the Macrostomata, the Boidae are snakes distributed in the Americas (Boa, Epicrates, Eunectes, and Corallus), Madagascar (Acrantophis e Tanzania), and some from western Pacific islands (Candoia). Their evolutionary history dated from the Mesozoic Era in the Late Cretaceous. The majority of the snake fossil records, as well, as the Boidae family, are represented by isolated vertebrae, and their comparison with extant forms becomes important when a new fossil appears. This project aims is analyze the pre-occlusal vertebrae of two genera of South America Boinae: Epicrates and Corallus, with the aim of investigating the intracolumnar and intraspecific variation, and also the comparison with the other two living genera: Boa and Eunectes. The purpose of this project is to recognize the variable characters among these taxa, that may contain potential phylogenetic information, and allow a more appropriate analysis of some fossil that has not been described.(AU)