Guadeloupe Mussarana (Clelia sp.)
The Guadeloupe Mussarana is a snake species that is known from some subfossil remains (?) that were found on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.
The status of this form is not known yet; it might be extinct. [1]
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References:
[1] Robert Powell; Robert W. Henderson: Island list of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 51(2): 87-168. 2012
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edited: 17.08.2022
Giant Rodrigues Night Gecko (Nactus sp.)
This is one of two species of the genus that formerly inhabited the island of Rodrigues in the Mascarene Islands.
The species disappeared shortly after the arrival of the first human settlers in the early 16th century. [1]
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References:
[1] Anthony Cheke; Julian P. Hume: Lost Land of the Dodo: The ecological history of Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues. Yale University Press 2008
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edited: 04.05.2022
Okoloma Worm Lizard (Cynisca gansi)
The Okoloma Worm Lizard was described in 1968; it is only known from a single locality near the city of Okoloma in Nigeria.
The species inhabited the topsoil as well as the leaf litter in the native forests, which are now mostly converted into agricultural areas or are urbanized; the species might well be extinct.
***
The photo below shows a more widespread congenerix taxon, the Coast Worm Lizard (Cynisca leucura (Duméril & Bibron)), photographed in Nigeria.
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edited: 18.02.2024
Hidden Bent-toed Gecko (Cyrtodactylus celatus)
The Hidden Bent-toed Gecko was described in 2014 on the basis of a single female specimen that was found in 1924 in the village of Tjamplong in West Timor, Indonesia.
The species reached a size of about 7.6 cm (including the tail); it can be distinguished from congeneric species from the same general geographical region by its smaller size and by a variety of pholidotic characteristics.
When the species was described, its type locality was described as a woodland with numerous small streams; unfortunately, the same region today is a barren habitat in which the native forest appears to have been removed and replaced by rice paddies and human habitations. [1]
Hidden Bent-toed Gecko is now most likely extinct.
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References:
[1] Andrew Kathriner; Aaron M. Bauer; Mark O’Shea; Caitlin Sanchez; Hinrich Kaiser: Hiding in plain sight: a new species of bent-toed gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) from West Timor, collected by Malcolm Smith in 1924. Zootaxa 3900(4): 555-568. 2014
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edited: 15.02.2024
Aldabra Iguana (Oplurus sp.)
Today, the species of this genus occur only on Madagascar and on Grande Comore, Comoro Islands; yet, they appear to have been much more widespread in former times.
This taxon is known from subfossil bones that were recovered from deposits on Grande Terre, the largest island of the Aldabra Atoll.
In live this taxon must have been larger than any of its living congeners, reaching lengths of about 35 cm (including the tail).
***
The photo below shows a congeneric species from Madagascar, the Collared Iguana (Oplurus cuvieri (Gray)).
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References:
[1] E. N. Arnold: Fossil reptiles from Aldabra atoll, Indian Ocean. bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology 29(2): 83-116. 1976
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edited: 02.03.2024
The Bromeliad Galliwasp aka. Fowler’s Galliwasp was described in 1971; it is known only from the type locality near the Windsor Caves in the Trelawny Parish in Jamaica.
The species is associated with large epiphytic bromeliads, it is hiding between the leaf rosettes where it is also feeding insects and other invertebrates.
The Bromeliad Galliwasp was apparently last seen (and photographed) in the 1990s; however, subsequent searches in the type locality did not yield any record and the species might well be extinct now.
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edited: 01.08.2022
Aldabra Fish-scale Gecko (Geckolepis sp.)
The fish-scale geckos inhabit Madagascar and the Comoro Islands; the former occurrence of the genus on the Aldabra Atoll is proven by the existence of fossil remains that were recovered from deposits on Grande Terre, the largest island of the atoll.
The Aldabran form was apparently larger than any of its living congeners, reaching lengths of about 20 cm (including the tail).
***
The species seems to have disappeared sometimes during the Pleistocene/Holocene border.
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References:
[1] E. N. Arnold: Fossil reptiles from Aldabra atoll, Indian Ocean. bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology 29(2): 83-116. 1976
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edited: 02.03.2024
This somewhat enigmatic form is known from at least one subfossil frontal bone that differed from the other frontal bones by its well-developed rugosities while being of comparable size to other frontal bones from other deposits.
These frontal bones are not really assignable to either the named species (Leiocephalus jamaicensis Etheridge) or to the second, unnamed one because they were found unassociated to other remains. [1]
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References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 07.09.2019
Lost Aldabra Day Gecko (Phelsuma sp.)
The Aldabra Atoll still harbors at least one endemic form of this genus, the Aldabra Day Gecko (Phelsuma abbotti ssp. abbotti Stejneger).
“Although the bones could not be precisely matched with any of the many West Indian Ocean and Ethiopian geckoes compared with them, they do have a general resemblance to the smaller species of Phelsuma. However, none of the members of this genus examined have the mental foramina placed so close to the upper margin of the dentary. This feature and the very restricted taper of the cylindrical body of the bone distinguish the fossils from P. abbotti, which is now present on Aldabra.” [1]
The species might have reached a length of about 10 cm (including the tail).
***
This species disappeared around the Pleistocene/Holocene border.
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References:
[1] E. N. Arnold: Fossil reptiles from Aldabra atoll, Indian Ocean. bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology 29(2): 83-116. 1976
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edited: 02.03.2024
Sangihe Flying Snake (Chrysopelea rhodopleuron ssp. viridis)
The Sangihe Flying Snake was described in 1880 from a single specimen which was subsequently destroyed during World War II; it was originally described as a distinct species. This form was apparently restricted to the island of Sangihe, the largest of the Sangihe Islands, Indonesia (not Sulawesi as is often stated).
The snake reached a length of 1,4 m, it was bright green above and slightly paler below, parts of the head were yellowish colored. [1]
The status of this form is not known but it appears to be extinct.
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References:
[1] J. G. Fischer: Neue Amphibien und Reptilien. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 215-227. 1880
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Depiction from: ‘J. G. Fischer: Neue Amphibien und Reptilien. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 46(1): 215-227. 1880′
(not in copyright)
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edited: 19.08.2022
Martinique Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus herminieri)
The Martinique Curly-tailed Lizard was described in 1837, the exact origin of the species is not known, but it is believed to have come from the island of Martinique.
The species is known from only five specimens, three of which are kept in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, France; a skeleton is kept in the British Museum of Natural History, London, Great Britain; and the fifth one, preserved in spirit, was kept in the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden, Netherlands, but unfortunately was destroyed apparently following spirit removals in the collection.
The original data accompanying one of the three specimens in Paris gives the place of collection as “Trinite”, which is thought by some herpetologists to be Trinidad, but which in fact might well be the city of Trinite on the north coast of Martinique; the other two specimens in Paris are likewise thought to have been collected on Martinique. [1]
***
The Martinique Curly-tailed Lizard reached a size of about 30 cm (including the tail). [1]
The species disappeared shortly after its description, probably due to predation by introduced rats and Javan Mongooses (Herpestes javanicus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire)).
***
syn. Holotropis herminieri Duméril & Bibron
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References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 07.09.2019
The Domed Rodrigues Giant Tortoise was one of two tortoise species that formerly were endemic to the island of Rodrigues in the Mascarene Islands.
The species disappeared after the island was settled by Europeans in the 16th century, the last individuals survived apparently until the very beginning of the 19th century.
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edited: 19.01.2020
The Saddle-backed Rodrigues Giant Tortoise was endemic to the island of Rodrigues, Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean.
The species was heavily hunted by the European settlers in the 16th century for its meat and was finally wiped out at the end of the 18th century.
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Depiction from: Joannis Davidis Schoepff: Historia testudinum iconibus illustrata. Erlangae: J. J. Palm 1792-1801
(not in copyright)
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edited: 19.01.2020
The Jamaican Curly-tailed Lizard was described in 1966 based on fossil or subfossil left dentary that had been recovered from Dairy Cave 2,5 kilometers away from Dry Harbour in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica, as well as several other remains from other caves on the island.
In life, the species might have reached a size of about 26 to 30 cm or even larger (including the tail). [1][2]
***
The species survived into historical times, some of the remains that have been found were unmineralized and had been collected from surface deposits. [2]
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References:
[1] Richard Etheridge: An extinct lizard of the genus Leiocephalus from Jamaica. Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences 29(1): 47-59. 1966
[2] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 07.09.2019
Aldabra Ground Gecko (Paroedura sp.)
The former existence of a member of this genus, otherwise known from Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, on the Aldabra Atoll is proven by numerous fossil bones that were found on Grande Terre, the largest of the atoll’s islands.
The species might have grown to a size of about 12 cm (including the tail)
***
The Aldabra Ground Gecko obviously disappeared around the Pleistovene/Holocene border.
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References:
[1] E. N. Arnold: Fossil reptiles from Aldabra atoll, Indian Ocean. bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology 29(2): 83-116. 1976
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edited: 02.03.2024
Viquez’s Tropical Ground Snake was described in 1937; it is known exclusively from the type that was found in 1927 somewhere in the Siquirres District in the north-eastern part of Costa Rica.
The species has never been found since and given the fact that the type locality has severely suffered from loss of native vegetation, it might indeed be extinct.
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edited: 21.08.2022
Antigua Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus cuneus ssp.)
The Antigua Curly-tailed Lizard is known only from subfossil remains, which are assigned to the Barbuda Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus cuneus Etheridge).
I’d like to refer to this form from the island of Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda, as a subspecies distinct from its Barbudan congener, since both islands, Antigua and Barbuda, are disconnected since the end of the Pleistocene era about 10000 years ago.
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References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 08.09.2019
Guadeloupe Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus sp.)
This undescribed form, which may or may not be related to or even conspecific with the Barbuda Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus cuneus Etheridge) is known from subfossil remains of Latest Holocene age found in 1984 in an unnamed cave at Pointe du Capucin at the northern shore of the island of Basse Terre in the Guadeloupe archipelago.
The Guadeloupe Curly-tailed Lizard survived into historical times, the remains have not yet been dated but were found associated with the bones of rats, which were introduced to the Caribbean only in the 15th century. [1]
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References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 08.09.2019
Agalta Fossorial Snake (Omoadiphas cannula)
This species, placed in a small genus with three species that all are endemic to Honduras, was described in 2010; it is known from two specimens that had been collected in 1989 in the Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Agalta in eastern central Honduras.
The species reaches a length of only about 36 cm and appears to be semi-fossorial that means it may spend much time hidden in a burrow of some kind.
The type locality of this species has subsequently been converted into a coffee plantation and, having never been found since the type collection, it might well be already extinct now.
***
The photo below shows another one of the three known species in this genus, the Omoa Fossorial Snake (Omoadiphas aurula G. Köhler, Wilson & McCranie).
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edited: 22.01.2024
Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei)
The story of the demise of this species is well recorded and very sad, I’d like to make it as short as possible here.:
***
The Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle was discovered and described (for the western world) at the end of the 19th century. The species was already rare then and had a disjunct distribution with one population inhabiting the Yangtze River catchment area in southern China, and another one the catchments of the Yuan River in northern Vietnam.
The species can reach a length of up to 1 m and can weigh up to 70 to 100 kg, some individuals were even larger and heavier. It is extremely secretive and only rarely comes up to breathe, largely preferring to stay submerged deep underwater.
***
Like all turtle species in Asia, also the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle has always been hunted not only for consumption but also for the use of several of its body parts in the Chinese medicine, another tread is the loss of suitable habitat, not at least by water pollution.
In 2016, to my knowledge, only five individuals were known to exist, among them a single female ….
***
Several efforts were undertaken to breed the species in captivity, one included an over 80 years old female being introduced to a 100 year old male in the Suzhou Zoo in China in 2008, this female produced hundreds of eggs, most of them infertile, those few that were fertile perished before hatching because their shells were too thin.
This last known female died today, April 13th, 2019, leaving the species functionally extinct unless, however, a fertile female might be found somewhere in the wild, but this is extremely unlikely to ever happen.
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edited: 20.04.2019
Aldabra Burrowing Skink (“Scelotes” sp.)
This taxon is known from fossil remains that were recovered from deposits on Grande Terre, the largest of the island that form the Aldabra Atoll in the southern Seychelles.
However, given the fact that this genus currently occurs only in southern Africa, it is rather likely that the remains from Aldabra may have been misidentified.
The species might have reached a size of about 15 to 18 cm (including the tail).
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References:
[1] E. N. Arnold: Fossil reptiles from Aldabra atoll, Indian Ocean. bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Zoology 29(2): 83-116. 1976
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edited: 02.03.2024
Fijian Terrestrial Crocodile (Volia athollandersoni)
The Fijian Terrestrial Crocodile was described in 2002 based on numerous fossil or subfossil remains that were excavated on the island of Viti Levu. It was a member of the Mekosuchinae, a now extinct subfamily of rather strange, smaller crocodylians most of which were terrestrial animals and some obviously even tree-dwellers.
The Fijian species reached a size of 2 to 3 m and thus was the largest terrestrial carnivore and most likely preyed upon other large reptiles like iguanas and birds.
The Fijian Terrestrial Crocodile very likely was a favorite hunting target of the first humans and was soon completely eradicated. [1]
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References:
[1] R. E. Molnar; T. Worthy; P. M. A. Willis: An extinct Pleistocene endemic Mekosuchine Crocodylian from Fiji. Journal of Vertebrate Paelontology 22(3): 612-628. 2002
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edited: 04.10.2020
Hispaniola Racer (Hypsirhynchus melanichnus)
The Hispaniola Racer was described in 1862, it was endemic to the large island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles.
The species reached a length of about 65 cm, its back was plain olive-green colored, there was a white stripe spanning from the neck to the middle of the body, the belly was olive-green as well, yet somewhat lighter than the back.
The biology of the Hispaniola Racer is not well known, it was diurnal and apparently was mostly found on the ground.
The Hispaniola Racer was last found in 1910 and is now considered extinct. The reasons for the extinction of this species are the same as for its gongener from the nearby island of Jamaica, the Jamaican Racer (Hypsirhynchus ater (Gosse)), that is habitat loss and predation by the introduced and highly invasive Javan Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire)).
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edited: 30.10.2020
Martinique Boa (Boa sp.)
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This taxon is known from subfossil remains that were found on the island of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles; some of these remains are bones that originate from archaeological deposits and that were manufactured into beads.
The Martinique Boa might have been a distinct species or may have been conspecific with either the Dominicia Boa (Boa nebulosa (Lazell)) (see photo below) or the St. Lucia Boa (Boa orophias L.), which are its closest neighbors and which both are sometimes regarded as subspecies of the South-American Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor L.).
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References:
[1] Corentin Bochaton: First records of modified snake bones in the Pre-Columbian archaeological record of the Lesser Antilles: Cultural and paleoecological implications. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology 17(1): 126-141. 2022
[2] Roger S. Thorpe; Anita Malhotra: Systematics and biogeography of snakes of the genus Boa in the Lesser Antilles. Caribbean Herpetology 88:1-14. 2023
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edited: 29.02.2024
The Mauritian Giant Skink was described in 1877; it is, however, only known from subfossil remains.
The species was one of the largest skinks in the world, it might have reached a size of over 60 cm.
The Mauritian Giant Skink was never mentioned in any of the many contemporaneous traveler’s accounts about the island’s fauna and flora that have survived to this day. [1]
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References:
[1] Anthony Cheke; Julian P. Hume: Lost Land of the Dodo: The ecological history of Mauritius, Réunion, and Redrigues. Yale University Press 2008
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edited: 04.05.2022
The Small Rodrigues Night Gecko is one of two species of its genus that were endemic to the island of Rodrigues in the Mascarene Islands.
The species is known exclusively from subfossil remains and has not yet been described. [1]
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References:
[1] Anthony Cheke; Julian P. Hume: Lost Land of the Dodo: The ecological history of Mauritius, Réunion, and Redrigues. Yale University Press 2008
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edited: 04.05.2022
Puerto Rico Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus partidus)
The Puerto Rico Curly-tailed Lizard was described in 1981, as far as I know it is known only from two subfossil remains that had been recovered from the Guánica Bat Cave in the Reserva Forestal Guánica in the Minicipio de Guayanilla, and from the Cueva del Perro in the Municipio de Morovis, Puerto Rico.
The species reached a large size which has been estimated as having been around 30 cm (including the tail).
The radiocarbon age of these remains is not available yet but they are most likely of Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene in age. [1]
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References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 07.09.2019
Thick-shielded Tortoise (Hesperotestudo crassiscutata)
The Thick-shielded Tortoise is known from fossil remains that can bedated to an Late Pleistocene to the earliest Holocene age, about 9500 BC, so falls just into the timespan that is covered by this blog.
The carapace of this rather large form reached a length of over 1 m.
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edited: 06.09.2020
Arnold’s Skink was described in 2008 based on subfossil remains that had been recovered from deposits of the Grotte au Sable in Saint-Paul, the second-largest commune of Réunion.
The species was closely related to Telfair-Skink (Leiolopisma telfairii (Desjardins)) (see photo below) from Mauritius, but was even larger; in life, this species must have had a size of over 40 cm (including the tail).
In contrast to many other animals that formerly inhabited the Mascarene islands, no written accounts exist that could be assigned to this species. [1]
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References:
[1] E. Nicholas Arnold; Roger Bour: A new Nactus gecko (Gekkonidae) and a new Leiolopisma skin (Scincidae) from La Réunion, Indian Ocean, based on recent fossil remains and ancient DNA sequence. Zootaxa 1705: 40-50. 2008
[2] Anthony Cheke; Julian P. Hume: Lost Land of the Dodo: The ecological history of Mauritius, Réunion, and Redrigues. Yale University Press 2008
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Telfair Skink (Leiolopisma telfairii); Photo: Wouter Van Landuyt (public domain)
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edited: 04.05.2022
Wilson’s Tortoise (Hesperotestudo wilsoni)
Wilson’s Tortoise is a Pleistocene species that apparently survived into the earliest Holocene, about 9050 BC, so falls just within the timespan this blog is covereing.
The carapace of this species reached a length of about 23 cm.
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edited: 06.09.2020
Saddle-backed Mauritius Giant Tortoise (Cylindraspis inepta)
The Saddle-backed Mauritius Giant Tortoise, as its name implies, was endemic to the island of Mauritius (including several of the smaller offshore islets), Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean.
The species had a saddle-shaped carapace, a somewhat upright stand and was adapted for brousing higher vegetation.
When the Mascarene Islands were settled by Europenas in the 16th century, thousands of the endemic tortoise species were slaughtered for their meat and imported feral animals like cats, pigs and rats fed on the tortoises eggs and hatchlings.
The Saddle-backed Mauritius Giant Tortoise was extinct on Mauritius by the beginning of the 18th century, but a small population survived on the offshore Round Island for some additional decades. This last population, however, was doomed, its small island refuge was overrun by introduced goats and rabbits which finally destroyed the whole vegetation, leaving the tortoises starving to dead at around 1845.
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edited: 19.01.2020
The Reunion Slit-eyed Skink was endemic to La Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
The species was last collected in 1839, its extinction is attributed to the Wolf Snake (Lycodon capucinus F. Boie), a small, mildly venomous snake from South Asia specialized in hunting small reptiles, that was accidently introduced to the Mascarene Islands in the middle of the 19th century. [1]
The Reunion Slit-eyed Skink’s next living relative is Bojer’s Skink (Gongylomorphus bojerii (Desjardins)) (see photo below), which is restricted to the island of Mauritius.
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References:
[1] Anthony Cheke; Julian P. Hume: Lost Land of the Dodo: The ecological history of Mauritius, Réunion, and Redrigues. Yale University Press 2008
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Bojer’s Skink (Gongylomorphus bojerii)
Photo: Ben Dymond
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/gagnebina
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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edited: 04.05.2022
Round Island Burrowing Boa (Bolyeria multocarinata)
The Round Island Burrowing Boa was described in 1827; it was endemic to Mauritius and was also found on some of the small offshore islets.
The species reached lengths of 1 to about 1.4 m; it was light brown colored and had darker spots dorsally; its snout was pointed, an adaption to its fossorial (burrowing) lifestyle.
The Round Island Burrowing Boa was eradicated from most of its former range by introduced predatory animals and survived only on Round Island, where it was last seen in 1974.
***
There is a single account that is describing a snake from Mauritius, it was made by Joseph-François Charpentier de Cossigny in 1764 and was translated by Anthony Cheke in 1987.:
“I should say also that there are snakes, quite long and big, marked with brown and green, on the islets marked on my map. I have seen several shot on the Gunner’s Quoin. There were also some on the islet by the Grand Port pass. The workman working at the battery killed several.” [1][2]
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References:
[1] A. S. Cheke; Anthony William Diamond: An ecological history of the Mascarene Islands, with particular reference to extinctions and introductions of land vertebrates. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1987
[2] Anthony Cheke; Julian P. Hume: Lost Land of the Dodo: The ecological history of Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues. Yale University Press 2008
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edited: 01.03.2024
Jamaican Racer (Hypsirhynchus ater)
The Jamaican Racer was described in 1851, it is, or rather was endemic to the island of Jamaica, where it was historically common and found island-wide.
The species reached a lenth of about 85 cm (or about 1 m according to other sources), its back was black or dark olive-colored with black spots, the belly was plain black or olive-colored.
The Jamaican Racer was a diurnal species that actively hunted for its prey, mainly smaller reptiles, especially so-called galliwasps (Celestus spp.).
When the species was described in 1851, it was considered to be one of the most common snakes on Jamaika, but then during the 1940s its populations begun to vanish due to habitat loss and predation by Javan Mongooses (Herpestes javanicus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire)) that had been introduced to the island by 1872.
The last ‘sighting’ was a shed skin that was found in the early 1970s, as well as an alleged video made in around 2010 that is assumed to show this snake. It is officially considered critically endangered, yet is most likely already completely extinct.
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edited: 15.09.2019
Cape Verde Giant Skink (Chioninia coctei)
The Cape Verde Giant Skink was once thought to have inhabited all of the islands of the Cape Verde archipelago; however, some of the island populations are now known to have constituted additional species – all of them now extinct.
Thus, the Giant Skink is exclusively known from the two tiny islets of Branco and Raso.
The species could reach lengths of up to 47 cm (including the tail), the males were usually larger than the females; it was a vegetarian and is known to have preferred the leaves and flowers of native mallows (Malva spp.).
The Cape Verde Giant Skink disappeared sometimes between 1914 and 1940.
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edited: 05.01.2024
Navassa Island Iguana (Cyclura cornuta ssp. onchiopsis)
The Navassa Island Iguana is a subspecies of the Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta (Bonaterre)) that was restricted to the tiny and uninhabited Navassa Island and is sometimes treated as a distinct species.
The animals reached sizes of 60 cm to about 1,3 m and were dark green, grey to nearly blackish grey or brown in color.
The Navassa form was described in 1885, it disappeared sometimes after completely unnoticed, the reasons for its extinction are probably mainly found in habitat destruction by guano mining as well as predation by introduced dogs and rats.
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edited: 16.05.2021
Domed Mauritius Giant Tortoise (Cylindraspis triserrata)
The Domed Mauritius Giant Tortoise was endemic to the island of Mauritius (including several of the small offshore islets), Mascarene Islands.
The species had a dome-shaped carapace and appears to have been adapted for grazing lower vegetation.
The Domed Mauritius Giant Tortoise disappeared from Mauritius around 1700, with some populations surviving on the surrounding islets for several decades.
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edited: 19.01.2020
Mona Island Tortoise (Chelonoidis monensis)
This species is known from subfossil remains that were found on Mona Island, a small island halfway between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico.
The species has probably survived until the first human settlers appeared at around 3000 BP.
***
There also appears to exist a painting in a cave on the island that obviously depicts such a tortoise.
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References:
[1] Anders G. J. Rhodin; Scott Thomson; Georgios L. Georgalis; Hans-Volker Karl; Igor G. Danilov; Akio Takahashi; Marcelo S. de la Fuente; Jason R. Bourque; Massimo Delfino; Roger Bour; John B. Iverson; H. Bradley Shaffer; Peter Paul van Dijk: Turtles and Tortoises of the World During the Rise and Global Spread of Humanity: First Checklist and Review of Extinct Pleistocene and Holocene Chelonians. and Holocene Turtles of the World Checklist – 2015 000e.1 Conservation Biology of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises: A Compilation Project of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group A. G. J. Rhodin, P. C. H. Pritchard, P. P. van Dijk, R. A. Saumure, K. A. Buhlmann, J. B. Iverson, and R. A. Mittermeier, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs 5. 2015
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edited: 06.09.2019
Navassa Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus eremitus)
The Navassa Curly-tailed Lizard was described in 1868, it is known only from the type specimen, a female bearing three mature ova [eggs].
The species was endemic to the tiny, uninhabited yet not undisputed island of Navassa: the island is the subject of an ongoing territorial dispute between Haiti and the United States, both of which claim the ownership over the little dry rock.
The Navassa Curly-tailed Lizard reached a size of about 13 to 14 cm long (including the tail). [1]
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References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 07.09.2019
Jamaican Giant Gecko (Tarentola albertschwartzi)
The Jamaican Giant Gecko was endemic to Jamaica.
The species was described in 1998, it is known only from a single specimen collected in the late 19th century that was discovered in a collection of a museum in Scotland.
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edited: 07.05.2021
Guadeloupe Ameiva (Pholidoscelis cineraceus)
The Guadeloupe Ameiva was described in 1915 based on three specimens that had been collected on the island of Basse Terre, Guadeloupe, it has already been mentioned in 1667 by Jean-Baptiste Du Tetre, a French blackfriar and botanist who lived on the island for some time.
The species died out due to predation by Small Indian Mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus (Hodgson)) which had been introduced to the island in 1887.
***
syn. Ameiva cineracea Barbour & Noble
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edited: 02.05.2021
Martinique Giant Ameiva (Pholidoscelis major)
The Martinique Giant Ameiva was described in 1839; it is known exclusively from museum specimens, whose origins appear to be unknown, they may have come from the island of Martinique or from the so-called Les Iles de la petite Terre, offshore Guadeloupe.
The species disappeared most likely due to predation by introduced mammalian predators.
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edited: 02.05.2021
Santa Fe Tortoise (Chelonoidis sp.)
The Isla Santa Fé, also known as Barrington Island, is a small, only about 24 km² large island, but may very well have once harbored its own endemic population of tortoises.
There are three reasons to assume the former existence of a local population.:
Firstly: Contemporaneous accounts by settlers and whalers, the latest of which dating from 1890, which also mention tortoise hunts on the island.
Secondly: Subfossil and recent tortoise bones are well known from the island, yet no part of a carapace is known, thus the exact status of these remains cannot be ascertained.
However, tortoises were transported in the 19th century from one island to another, without any kind of registering, thus these two abovementioned reasons may in fact also apply to a imported tortoise population. But there is still the third and best reason ….
Thirdly: By far the best evidence for the former existence of a endemic tortoise population comes from the island’s flora – the Barrington Island Tree Opuntia (Opuntia echios var. barringtonensis E. Y. Dawson) is an endemic variety of the typical tree-like opuntias that have evolved only on islands with tortoises, while the opuntia forms on tortoise-free islands are always growing as low creeping bushes, because, in the absence of large herbivorous tortoises they just did not need to develop a trunk.
Thus there simply must have been a local race or species of tortoise on the Isla Santa Fé!
***
In spite of everything, the Santa Fe Tortoise is still officially regarded as a hypothetical form.
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References: [1] Dennis M. Hansen; C. Josh Donlan; Christine J. Griffiths; Karl J. Campbell: Ecological history and latent conservation potential: large and giant tortoises as a model for taxon substitutions. Ecography Vol. 33(2) 272–284. 2010
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edited: 26.07.2013
Madagascar Crocodile (Voay robustus)
The Madagascar Crocodile was described in 1872, it is known only from subfossil remains, that were found very numerously on the island of Madagascar.
The species reached lengths of about 5 m.
***
Madagascar is now inhabited by another crocodile species, the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus (Laurenti)), which might have occurred sympatrically with the extinct species, or which – more likely – was only able to successfully establish itself after the extinction of the endmic species.
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edited: 04.10.2020
Jamaica Giant Galliwasp (Celestus occiduus)
This species was described in the year 1802.
The animals reached lengths of up to 90 cm (including the tail), whereby the males were larger than the females.
The Jamaica Giant Galliwasp is now extinct, the last catalogued museum specimen was collected around 1860, and no individual was ever seen since. The introduced Mungo (Herpestes javanicus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire)) is often blamed for this extinction, but this animal was first imported to Jamaica in 1872.
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References:
[1] Byron Wilson: On the Brink of Extinction: Saving Jamaica’s Vanishing Species. EFJ’s 7th Annual Public Lecture 2011
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edited: 21.03.2018
Central Haitian Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus endomychus)
The Central Haitian Curly-tailed Lizard was described in 1967, originally as a subspecies of Cochran’s Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus vinculum Cochran) but was revalued to species status in 1992. [1][2]
The species was apparently restricted to the Plateau Central in the Haitian part of the island of Hispaniola, Greater Antilles.
The Central Haitian Curly-tailed Lizard was a smaller species, it reached a size of about 15 cm (including the tail). [1]
The species was last recorded in 1976 and is now believed to be extinct.
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References:
[1] Albert Schwartz: The Leiocephalus (Lacertilia, Iguanidae) of Hispaniola, II. The Leiocephalus personatus complex. Tulane Studies in Zoology 14(1): 1-53. 1967
[2] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 08.09.2019
The Portland Coast Galliwasp was described in 1940; it was apparently restricted to a small region near the north-eastern coast of Jamaica.
The species reaches a size of about 8,5 cm (without the tail).
The Portland Coast Galliwasp was last seen in the 1950s and has not found since; it is thus believed to be very likely extinct.
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edited: 01.08.2022
Pinta Island Tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdonii)
This species was described in 1877, it was endemic to the somewhat isolated Isla Pinta aka. Abingdon Island in the northern part of the Galápagos archipelago.
The species was thought to be extinct, when in 1971, a last individual was located, it was a male that was named ‘Lonesome George’ and was relocated to the Charles Darwin Research Station on Isla Santa Cruz for his safety.
Several attempts at mating Lonesome George with females of other tortoise species were unsuccessful, possibly because his species was not cross-fertile with the other species.
***
Lonesome George (see photo), the last member of its species, died at 24 June 2012.
***
It seems that there are still some individuals in existence that at least harbor some DNA of this extinct species within their blood.
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edited: 01.06.2021
The Reunion Night Gecko was described in 2008 based on subfossil remains that were recovered from deposits of the Grotte au Sable in Saint-Paul, the second-largest commune of Réunion.
In life, the species might have reached a size of around 9 cm (including the tail); it was nocturnal and very likely rather inconspicuously colored. [1]
The Reunion Night Gecko was among the first species that died out shortly after the Mascarene Islands were discovered by European seafarers in the early 16th century, who also introduced rats to the islands, which then ate their way through the island faunas. [2]
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References:
[1] E. Nicholas Arnold; Roger Bour: A new Nactus gecko (Gekkonidae) and a new Leiolopisma skin (Scincidae) from La Réunion, Indian Ocean, based on recent fossil remains and ancient DNA sequence. Zootaxa 1705: 40-50. 2008
[2] Anthony Cheke; Julian P. Hume: Lost Land of the Dodo: The ecological history of Mauritius, Réunion, and Redrigues. Yale University Press 2008
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edited: 04.05.2022
The Giant Cuban Tortoise was endemic to the island of Cuba; the species disappeared sometimes during the Holocene, very likely due direct hunting pressure by the first human settlers.
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edited: 17.08.2022
Barbuda Iguana (Cyclura sp.)
This form, which might have been a distinct species, is currently known only from a single bone, a braincase, found on the island of Barbuda.
The species apparently disappeared as early as shortly after the occupation of the island by Amerindian settlers.
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References:
[1] Gregory K. Pregill; David W. Steadman; David R. Watters: Late Quaternary vertebrate faunas of the Lesser Antilles: historical components of Caribbean biogeography. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 30: 1-51. 1994
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edited: 16.05.2021
Barbuda Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus cuneus)
This species was described in 1964 based on subfossil bones that had been found one year prior on the island of Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda.
The species is said to have been the largest within its genus, it might in fact have reached sizes of over 40 cm (including the tail). [1][2]
***
The Barbuda Curly-tailed Lizard has survived at least until the 15th century, but died out shortly after the arrival of the first European settlers who also introduced rats to the islands, which again probably killed many of the endemic reptiles.
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References:
[1] David W. Steadman; Gregory K. Pregill; Storrs L. Olson: Fossil vertebrates from Antigua, Lesser Antilles: Evidence for late Holocene human-caused extinctions in the West Indies. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81: 4448-4451. 1984
[2] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 08.09.2019
Large Hispaniola Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus apertosulcus)
The Large Hispaniola Curly-tailed Lizard was described in 1965 based on subfossil remains that had been recovered from the deposits of a cave in the Cerro de San Francisco in the Municipio Pedro Santana of the Dominican Republic in the eastern part of Hispaniola Island.
The species must have reached a size of about 40 cm (including the tail). [1][2]
***
The Large Hispaniola Curly-tailed Lizard was closely related to the St. Michel Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus anonymus Pregill), another species only known from subfossil remains found on the island of Hispaniola, but differed from that species by some of its anatomical features. [1]
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References:
[1] Gregory Pregill: An extinct species of Leiocephalus from Haiti (Sauria: Iguanidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 97(4): 827-833. 1984
[2] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 08.09.2019
This species was described in 1979; it is known only from the type series that was collected in 1977 in a small valley in the San Cristóbal Province in the southern Dominican Republic.
The sole known type locality has been converted into agricultural land and it is very likely extinct.
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edited: 01.08.2022
Ankafina Ground Snake (Pseudoxyrhopus ankafinaensis)
Thie Ankafina Ground Snake was described in 1994, it is known exclusively from a single specimen that was collected in 1880 somewhere in Madagascar.
The species was never found again and is considered extinct.
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edited: 24.04.2019
St. Michel Curly-tailed Lizard (Leiocephalus anonymus)
The St. Michel Curly-tailed Lizard was described in 1984 based on subfossil bones that had been collected already 50 years prior from the deposits of an unspecified cave (or from more than one cave, it is not known) near Saint-Michel-de-l’Attalaye in the Département Artibonite in the western part of Haiti.
In life, the species must have reached a size of about 25 cm (including the tail). [1][2]
***
It is not known if this species survived into post-European times (after 1492), it is, however, quite likely. [1]
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References:
[1] Gregory Pregill: An extinct species of Leiocephalus from Haiti (Sauria: Iguanidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 97(4): 827-833. 1984
[2] Gregory K. Pregill: Systematics of the West Indian Lizard Genus Leiocephalus (Squamata: Iguania: Tropiduridae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 84: 1-69. 1992
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edited: 08.09.2019
Reunion Giant Tortoise (Cylindraspis indica)
The Reunion Giant Tortoise was described in 1783, it was endemic to the island of Réunion, Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean, where it formerly was extremely numerous, forming large herds.
The species was the largest within its genus, with carapace lenghts of 0,5 to 1,1 m.
There appear to have been both dome-shaped as well as saddle-shaped individuals in this species and they may in fact constitute two distinct species, as it is the case on the two neigboring islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues, which each harbored two endemic tortoise species once.
***
The tortoises were killed by the first European settlers but also caught in vast numbers by sailors to be stacked into the holds of their ships, where they, simply being turned on their backs condemned to die a horrible slow death, provided a source of fresh meat for months.
The species disappeared at the beginning of the 18th century with the last remaining individuals surviving in hidden spots on the highlands until around 1840.
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edited: 19.01.2020
Jamaican Giant Gecko (Aristelliger titan)
The Jamaican Giant Gecko was described in 1951 based on subfossil remains that were recovered from cave deposists on the island of Jamaica.
The species apparently disappeared in the late Holocene, this is either after the first appearance of Amerindian settlers or even as late as in the 15th century or even later. [1]
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References:
[1] Raymond M. Wright; Edward Robinson: Biostratigraphy of Jamaica. Geological Society of Amer 1994
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edited: 17.04.2019