First report of the giant snake Gigantophis (Madtsoiidae) from the Paleocene of Pakistan: Paleobiogeographic implications
Résumé
We report here the discovery of madtsoiid snake remains from the early Paleocene Khadro Formation(Ranikot Group, Sindh, Southern Pakistan). These specimens consist of vertebrae and are referred toGigantophis. This is the first report of Gigantophis from outside of Africa. The problem of the genericdistinction between Gigantophis and Madtsoia is stressed. The specimens from Pakistan slightly differfrom the single species (G. garstini) referred to the genus Gigantophis, but the available material does notallow further considerations and the fossil is referred to as Gigantophis sp. However, Gigantophis sp. fromthe Khadro Formation is more closely related to G. garstini, that is known only from the middle and lateEocene of northern Africa, than to any other species, thus suggesting dispersal between these two areasduring the Paleocene or earlier. These results are consistent with the hypothesis of intermittentdispersals between the Indo-Pakistan Plate and Africa suggested by other fossil evidences.