Stratigraphical Foreword V
Acknowledgments VI
Institutional Abbreviations VII
Abbreviations Used in figures IX
General Osteology 1
The classification of Snakes 6
Systematic Review 7
Order Serpentes LINNAEUS, 1758 7
Suborder Scolecophidia DUMÉRIL and BIBRON, 1844 8
Family ?Typhlopidae GRAY, 1825 9
Fossils Erroneously Assigned to the Scolecophidia 9
Suborder Alethinophidia NOPCSA, 1923a 10
Superfamily Simoliopheoidea NOPCSA, 1925 10
Family Lapparentopheidae HOFFSTETTER, 1968 11
Family Simoliopheidae NOPCSA,1925 11
Superfamily Anilioidea FITZINGER, 1826 11
Family Aniliidae FITZINGER, 1826 11
Snakes Erroneously Assigned to the Aniliidae 13
Family Uropeltidae MÜLLER, 1832 13
Superfamily Booidea GRAY, 1825 13
Family Dinilysiidae ROMER, 1956 13
Family Xenopeltidae BONAPARTE, 1845 15
Family Boidae GRAY, 1825 15
Subfamily Boinae GRAY, 1825 15
Subfamily Erycinae BONAPARTE, 1831 23
Snakes Referred with Doubt to the Erycinae 27
Snakes Erroneously Referred to the Erycinae 28
Subfamily Bolyeriinae HOFFSTETTER, 1946 28
Subfamily Tropidopheinae COPE, 1894 28
Subfamily Madtsoiinae HOFFSTETTER, 1961 30
Snakes Referred with Doubt to the Madtsoiinae 30
Boidae incertae sedis 30
Nomina dubia 32
Snake Referred with Doubt to the Boidae 33
Family Palaeopheidae LYDEKKER, 1888 33
Subfamily Palaeopheinae LYDEKKER, 1888 33
Nomina dubia 36
Subfamily Archaeopheinae JANENSCH, 1906 36
Superfamily Acrochordoidea BONAPARTE, 1838 38
Family Acrochordidae BONAPARTE, 1838 38
Family Nigeropheidae RAGE, 1975 39
Superfamily Colubroidea OPPEL, 1811 41
Family Anomalopheidae AUFFENBERG, 1959 41
Family Russellopheidae RAGE, 1978 42
Family Colubridae OPPEL, 1811 42
Colubrid Snakes Described as Extinct Species but Belonging to Living Forms 51
Nomina dubia 52
Family Elapidae BOIE, 1827 54
Snakes Erroneously Referred to the Elapidae 54
Family Viperidae OPPEL, 1811 54
Subfamily Viperinae OPPEL, 1811 55
Subfamily Crotalinae OPPEL, 1811 56
Crotaline Snakes Described as Extinct Forms but Belonging to Living Species 56
Nomina dubia 58
Alethinophidia incertae sedis 58
Serpentes incertae sedis 59
Nomina nuda 60
Fossils Doubtfully Referred to Snakes, here Considered as Nomina dubia 61
Fossils Sometimes Assigned to Snakes, here Referred to Sauria 62
Fossil Described as a Snake, but Assigned to Gastropoda (Mollusca) 63
Fossil Described as a Possible Snake but Referred to Plants 63
The Origin of Snakes 64
The Phylogeny of Snakes 66
1. The Initial Alethinophidian Dichotomy 66
2. The Anilioidea 66
3. The Booidea 68
4. The Acrochordoidea 71
5. The Colubroidea 73
6. The Simoliopheoidea 74
Bibliography 75
Index generum 79