In the 2000 Geodiversitas article on the Vieux Collage snake fossils, Ivanov
also mentions remains of Naja cf. romani. This is an exinct cobra species thar
lived in Europe during the Miocene period. In this sample, these components were
found:

2 cervical vertebrae
35 trunk vertebrae

Ivanov discusses the specimen in this excerpt of the article:

The vertebrae belong to large representatives of the family Elapidae. The
vertebrae have low ratio c1/naw and the trunk vertebrae have low neural spines
which distinguish Naja sp.1 from the recent representatives of the genus Naja.
Moreover, the lateral foramina occur in deep and wide depressions. Naja sp. 1
resembles N. romani from Kohfidisch (Bachmayer & Szyndar 1985: fig 5) in the
shape and length of the prezygapophyseal processes and resembles N. romani from
Petersbruch 2 (Szyndlar & Schleich 1993: fig 7F) in the shape of the zygosphenal
lip; in N. depereti the lateral lobes of the zygosphene are under-developed
(Bachmayer & Szyndlar 1985). Naja sp. 1 resembles N. iberica the vertebrae are
relatively narrower than in N. romani [Szyndlar 1985] and the length of the
prezygapophyseal processes; however, the processes in Naja sp.1 seem to be
somewhat longer Naja sp. 1 differs from Naja romani in the following features:
1) the relatively narrower vertebrae in Naja sp.1; 2) the
anterior margin of the neural spine is clearly inclined anteriorly in Naja sp.
1 while in Naja romani it is almost vertical. Concerning the recent
representatives of the genus Naja, the Asiatic members of this genus are
characterized by the relatively narrower vertebral centers, especially N.
sputatrix (22S; D 470), contrast to the African members - N. haje (Linnaeus,
1750) (ZZSiD491) and N. nigricollis (Reinhardt 1843) (ZZSiD 492).

Neal Robbins




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