612:
130:
384:
however to a much greater degree, expressing a ratio of almost 2:1 between height and length. This ratio is less well developed in the posterior trunk vertebrae, which also display longer vertebral centra and less horizontal zygapophyses. At least one vertebra, alongside a dentary fragment, appear to belong to a juvenile specimen. The dentary preserves a large portion of the posterior tooth row, showing ten
1223:
369:
were higher than they were long and slope backwards, however the dorsoposterior angle of said slope is blunt rather than accute. In general the entire vertebra is notably higher than long, with the neural spine, neural arch and centrum all contributing to the height in equal measures. The roof of the
566:
likely hunted using heat sensitive pits located around the mouth. However due to the lack of adult skull material, the gape and consequently the maximum prey size could not be determined. Determining head size based on body size meanwhile is a complicated matter, as different snakes may vary greatly
383:
is pronounced throughout the trunk of the vertebrae. While the holotype vertebra is from the middle of the snake's trunk, the most numerous vertebrae correspond with the anterior trunk region, before the heart. These precardiac vertebrae are higher than they are long like those of the middle trunk,
402:
was likely among the largest snakes to have existed in
Australia, with the largest vertebra measuring a total of 59.1 mm (2.33 in) wide. Using Scanlon's 1993 method of estimating the size of fossil snakes, this would result in a total length of 8.35 m (27.4 ft). However, this
600:. At the same time, the high neural spine is a possible indicator that the python was a capable climber that may have also preyed on birds, reptiles and arboreal mammals, which would match the presence of more densely forested areas during the Pliocene.
378:
are almost horizontal with a slope of less than 5%. The hypapophysis below the centrum grows gradually more shallow from the front to the back, rather than doing so more abruptly. Additionally, the haemal keel of
589:, although potentially with patches of more closed forest. The climate was also favorable to large snakes, with the warm temperatures and humidity being important factors that aid in snake digestion.
585:, is known to feed on large prey including but not limited to pigs, deer and primates. Prey availability is an equally important factor and the Pliocene Bluff Downs was likely similar to the modern
478:
in this manner could be observed in the Bluff Downs giant python, the authors nevertheless assign it to the genus based on general similarities. While the high neural spine can also be found in
573:
for example is known to be relatively slender, but specimens with a body length of less than 6 m (20 ft) are still known to be capable of killing and feeding on
467:. The authors subsequently diagnose the genus based on a variety of traits including the anatomy of the skull, overall proportions, scales and the anatomy of the
296:
was likely the biggest snake found in
Australia, with a total length of up to 9 m (30 ft). This length rivals the largest extant snake species, the
407:, which is known to have a spine composed of 394 individual vertebrae, contrasting with the average of 450 vertebrae that make up the skeleton of large
342:, with Scanlon and Mackness erecting a new species for the material in 2002. The trunk vertebra discovered by Archer, QMF 9132, was chosen to be the
415:
to roughly 9 m (30 ft). With this length the Bluff Downs giant python would have been the largest snake of
Australia, even exceeding the
773:
1348:
1338:
490:, the Bluff Downs giant python was found to lack several derived traits that would connect it to the aforementioned genera. Outside of
679:
Scanlon, J. D.; MacKness, B. S. (2001). "A new giant python from the
Pliocene Bluff Downs Local Fauna of northeastern Queensland".
353:. This combination, effectively meaning "ghost squeezer", was chosen to reflect the likely constricting habits of the python. The
349:
The species name "dubudingala" is a combination of the words dubu ("ghost") and dingal ("to squeeze"), both deriving from the
636:
388:
situated on a raised ridge. Safe for the second, fourth and sixth of these alveoli, all teeth in the dentary fragment are
540:
coexisted with a multitude of other reptiles, including multiple crocodilians and a large-bodied monitor lizard. Besides
1353:
321:
346:, but a number of additional fossils including vertebrae, ribs, teeth and a dentary were also referred to the species.
766:
1343:
1243:
1238:
1165:
552:
129:
716:"First known axis vertebra of a madtsoiid snake (Yurlunggur camfieldensis) and remarks on the neck of snakes"
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350:
308:, but it is also possible that it was a skilled climber capable of catching birds and arboreal marsupials.
1260:
759:
325:
1305:
235:
392:, meaning they are permanently fused to the jaw bone. The curvature is similar to those of the modern
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617:
569:
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1007:
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578:
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124:
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354:
1056:
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by Archer, but later research found sufficient evidence to assign the material to the genus
597:
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301:
1327:
1227:
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1115:
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Based on environment, size and the favorable climatic conditions, it's possible that
501:
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17:
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51:
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521:). Scanlon and MacKnees conclude that based on the available characteristics,
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451:
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slopes at a steep angle and its junction with the neural spine is blunt. The
1070:
987:
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141:
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45:
720:
Beagle: Records of the
Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory
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from South
America. It may have fed on larger prey such as juvenile
1149:
784:
277:
191:
1297:
357:
furthermore coined the vernacular name Bluff Downs giant python.
751:
1258:
755:
596:
could have fed on relatively large prey including juvenile
332:. The trunk vertebra was initially assigned to the genus
498:, high neural spines are also found in the species of
320:
were discovered in 1975 by
Australian paleontologist
681:
637:"Australia's Lost Kingdom: Bluff Downs Giant Python"
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403:method is based on the proportions of the extant
525:was likely either a sister taxon to or part of
396:, although the teeth are smaller in diameter.
767:
471:. Although none of the traits used to define
8:
411:species. This would increase the length of
437:, Scanlon and MacKnees consider the genera
1255:
774:
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324:in the early Pliocene sediments of the
674:
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631:
629:
581:meanwhile, which is close in size to
509:species in the strictest definition (
7:
25:
1221:
610:
128:
288:, that lived during the Early
1:
1349:Fossil taxa described in 2002
1339:Neogene reptiles of Australia
833:Genera with hindlimbs and a
316:The first fossil remains of
550:include the two marsupials
433:In the type description of
1370:
1244:Category:Cretaceous snakes
1239:List of Serpentes families
461:to all be synonymous with
254:Scanlon and Mackness, 2002
1215:
1166:Vipera latastei ebusitana
792:
693:10.1080/03115510108619232
553:Thylacoleo crassidentatus
546:, other predators of the
241:
234:
125:Scientific classification
123:
34:
263:Bluff Downs giant python
35:Bluff Downs giant python
27:Extinct species of snake
562:. Like modern pythons,
548:Bluff Downs Local Fauna
351:Guugu Yalandji language
714:Scanlon, J.D. (2004).
643:. 2004. Archived from
38:Temporal range: Early
1306:Paleobiology Database
365:The neural spines of
587:Kakadu National Park
527:Liasis sensu stricto
1354:Snakes of Australia
1206:Psammophis odysseus
618:Paleontology portal
570:Morelia amethistina
405:Black-headed python
376:articular processes
326:Allingham Formation
227:L. dubudingala
1269:Liasis dubudingala
1098:Liasis dubudingala
1008:Boa blanchardensis
594:Liasis dubudingala
583:Liasis dubudingala
579:reticulated python
564:Liasis dubudingala
538:Liasis dubudingala
523:Liasis dubudingala
435:Liasis dubudingala
413:Liasis dubudingala
400:Liasis dubudingala
381:Liasis dubudingala
367:Liasis dubudingala
318:Liasis dubudingala
312:History and naming
300:from Asia and the
298:reticulated python
294:Liasis dubudingala
267:Liasis dubudingala
248:Liasis dubudingala
18:Liasis dubudingala
1344:Pliocene reptiles
1321:
1320:
1261:Taxon identifiers
1252:
1251:
1228:Snakes portal
641:Australian Museum
559:Dasyurus dunmalli
355:Australian Museum
292:. Named in 2002,
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16:(Redirected from
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733:10.5962/p.286329
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567:in proportions.
543:Quinkana babarra
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512:Liasis olivacea
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1234:List of snakes
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598:diprotodontids
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429:Classification
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306:diprotodontids
302:green anaconda
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647:on 2009-02-17
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502:sensu stricto
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236:Binomial name
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1139:Pterosphenus
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1064:Rieppelophis
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1050:Phosphoroboa
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1043:Palaeopython
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979:Dinilysiidae
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885:Pachyrhachis
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649:. Retrieved
645:the original
640:
593:
591:
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568:
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541:
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533:Paleoecology
526:
522:
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479:
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462:
456:
450:
446:Bothrochilus
444:
438:
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432:
420:
412:
408:
399:
398:
394:olive python
380:
366:
364:
348:
339:
333:
317:
315:
293:
266:
262:
260:
247:
242:
226:
225:
212:
29:
1186:Naja romani
1125:Archaeophis
1036:Messelophis
1022:Chubutophis
940:Powellophis
912:Gigantophis
905:Alamitophis
896:Madtsoiidae
726:: 207β215.
361:Description
322:Mike Archer
1334:Pythonidae
1328:Categories
1132:Palaeophis
1089:Pythonidae
1078:Waincophis
968:Yurlunggur
878:Pachyophis
871:Haasiophis
864:Eupodophis
815:Sauropsida
687:(4): 425.
604:References
505:, meaning
475:sensu lato
452:Leiopython
422:Yurlunggur
372:zygosphene
330:Queensland
282:Queensland
202:Pythonidae
188:Suborder:
1150:Viperidae
1071:Titanoboa
988:Dinilysia
796:Kingdom:
742:128423678
651:August 8,
575:wallabies
469:hemipenis
440:Antaresia
417:madtsoiid
390:ankylosed
286:Australia
220:Species:
192:Serpentes
148:Kingdom:
142:Eukaryota
1298:36711331
1284:Q4930645
1278:Wikidata
1177:Elapidae
933:Nidophis
926:Menarana
919:Madtsoia
823:Squamata
807:Chordata
804:Phylum:
799:Animalia
701:85185368
344:holotype
290:Pliocene
269:) is an
198:Family:
182:Squamata
172:Reptilia
162:Chordata
158:Phylum:
152:Animalia
138:Domain:
40:Pliocene
1159:Laophis
1057:Rageryx
961:Wonambi
947:Sanajeh
820:Order:
812:Class:
782:Fossil
500:Liasis
492:Morelia
481:Morelia
473:Liasis
458:Apodora
386:alveoli
335:Morelia
274:species
271:extinct
245:†
224:†
208:Genus:
178:Order:
168:Class:
113:↓
44:4
1311:288562
1015:Boavus
999:Boidae
954:Vasuki
844:Najash
835:sacrum
785:snakes
740:
699:
577:. The
507:Liasis
496:Python
487:Python
464:Liasis
419:snake
409:Liasis
340:Liasis
213:Liasis
738:S2CID
697:S2CID
280:from
278:snake
653:2022
556:and
515:and
494:and
484:and
455:and
261:The
52:Preκ
1293:EoL
728:doi
689:doi
276:of
1330::
1308::
1295::
1280::
736:.
724:20
722:.
718:.
695:.
685:25
683:.
661:^
639:.
628:^
529:.
449:,
443:,
425:.
328:,
284:,
102:Pg
46:Ma
775:e
768:t
761:v
744:.
730::
703:.
691::
655:.
265:(
107:N
97:K
92:J
87:T
82:P
77:C
72:D
67:S
62:O
57:κ
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