Acleistochelys Temporal range: Paleocene ~ | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Pleurodira |
Family: | † Bothremydidae |
Genus: | † Acleistochelys |
Species: | †A. maliensis |
Binomial name | |
†Acleistochelys maliensis Gaffney at al., 2007 | |
Acleistochelys ("hollowed turtle") is an extinct genus of large, bothremydid pleurodiran turtle known from Paleocene deposits in the Teberemt Formation of Mali. The type species, A. maliensis, was named for the country in which it was found. The holotype specimen consists of a nearly complete skull, shell fragments, pelvic fragments, and a cervical vertebra. It is most closely related to another Paleocene Malian side-necked turtle, Azabbaremys. [1]
Acleistochelys has a narrow skull compared to Azabbaremys. [1] It lacks the broad palate and triturating surface seen in durophagous turtles [2] and may have been piscivorous, preferring to eat fish. [3] The fragments of its carapace that have been found show an irregular surface texture of anastomosing furrows that form raised humps. [1]
Acleistochelys is known from shallow marine deposits in the middle to upper portion of the Teberemt Formation, [1] dating to the post-Danian portion [3] of the Paleocene Epoch. [4] [5] Sea levels rose and fell over the course of the Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene, and much of northwest Africa was submerged in a shallow body of water, called the Trans-Saharan Seaway, no more than 50 meters deep. [3] Acleistochelys lived alongside crocodiles [1] and lungfish ( Lavocatodus giganteus ). [3] Invertebrates in its ecosystem included oysters (Ostrea multicostata), nautiloids (Deltoidonautilus sp.), gastropods (Gistortia sp.), sea urchins (e.g., Linthia sudanensis, Oriolampas michelini), [1] and bivalves (Lucinidae indet.). [3]
Over a dozen species of Paleogene north African side-necked turtles had been discovered by the time Acleistochelys was first described, [6] and the presence of multiple large bothremydids (Acleistochelys and Azabbaremys) in Mali's near-shore marine sediments seems to indicate that northwest Africa was an area of bothremydid diversification throughout the Paleogene. [1]
Goronyosaurus is an extinct genus of marine lizard belonging to the mosasaur family. Fossils of Goronyosaurus are exclusively known from the Late Maastrichtian of the Iullemmeden Basin in West Africa, specifically the Dukamaje Formation of Niger and Nigeria and Farin Doutchi Formation of Niger. The type specimen was first described in 1930 as Mosasaurus nigeriensis, but subsequent remains revealed a highly unique set of adaptations that prompted the species to be reclassified as the only species of the new genus Goronyosaurus in 1972. These unique adaptations have made Goronyosaurus notoriously difficult to classify within the Mosasauridae and it is often left out of phylogenetic analyses, although most authors agree that Goronyosaurus belonged to Mosasauridae.
Bothremydidae is an extinct family of side-necked turtles (Pleurodira) known from the Cretaceous and Cenozoic. They are closely related to Podocnemididae, and are amongst the most widely distributed pleurodire groups, with their fossils having been found in Africa, India, the Middle East, Europe, North America and South America. Bothremydids were aquatic turtles with a high morphological diversity, indicative of generalist, molluscivorous, piscivorous and possibly herbivorous grazing diets, with some probably capable of suction feeding. Unlike modern pleurodires, which are exclusively freshwater, bothremydids inhabited freshwater, marine and coastal environments. Their marine habits allowed bothremydids to disperse across oceanic barriers into Europe and North America during the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian). The youngest records of the group are indeterminate remains from Saudi Arabia and Oman, dating to the Miocene.
Stratodus is a genus of giant prehistoric aulopiform fish found in Cretaceous-aged marine strata of Kansas, Alabama, Morocco, Israel, and Niger, South Dakota, Jordan. It has also been found in the Tamaguélelt Formation of Mali, dating to the Lower Eocene, indicating that Stratodus survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. This sleek fish has an upper jaw filled with multiple rows of tiny teeth and was the largest aulopiform, reaching 5 meters in length.
Cearachelys is an extinct genus of pleurodiran turtle which existed some 110 million years ago. The genus is monotypic, with only type species Cearachelys placidoi known.
Brychaetus is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine bonytongue fish known from the Late Cretaceous to the late Eocene of Europe, North America, and northern Africa.
Sankuchemys is an extinct genus of side-necked turtle whose fossils had been found in the Intertrappean Formation of India during the late Cretaceous period. It was first named by Eugene S. Gaffney, Ashok Sahni, Herman Schleich, Swarn Deep Singh, and Rahul Srivastava in 2003, and contains the species Sankuchemys sethnai.
Kurmademys is an extinct genus of side-necked turtle which existed in India during the late Cretaceous period. It was first named in 2001, by Eugene S. Gaffney, Sankar Chatterjee, and Dhiraj K. Rudra, and contains the species Kurmademys kallamedensis. The species name is derived from the Kallamedu Formation of southern India, where the type specimen of the genus was discovered. It was assigned to the family Bothremydidae.
Foxemys is an extinct genus of bothremydid turtle that was discovered at Fox Amphoux, France and also Hungary and Spain. Its skull and shell structure is similar to Polysternon. Two species are in the genus: F. mechinorum and F. trabanti.
Chedighaii is an extinct genus of marine bothremydid side-necked turtle that inhabited eastern and south-central North America during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous. It is known from two species C. hutchisoni and C. barberi. The genus name is derived from ch’ééh digháhii, the Navajo word for turtle.
Araiochelys is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered in the Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco. The genus consists solely of type species A. hirayamai.
Arenila is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered in the Western Desert of Egypt. The genus consists solely of type species A. krebsi.
Azabbaremys is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered in the Teberemt Formation of Mali. It was described in 2001, based on a skull that had been recovered in an expedition in 1981. The genus consists solely of the type species Azabbaremys moragjonesi. The genus name is derived from Azabbar, a monster in Tamasheq folk stories. The species is named for Morag Jones, a research student who participated in the discovery of the specimen and died in the expedition. Azabbaremys is most closely related to another Paleocene side-necked turtle, Acleistochelys.
Phosphatochelys is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered near Oued Zem, Morocco. The genus consists solely of type species P. tedfordi.
Rhothonemys is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered in the Paleogene of Morocco. The genus consists solely of type species R. brinkmani.
Labrostochelys is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered in the Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco. The genus consists solely of type species L. galkini.
Amabilis uchoensis is a species of prehistoric pleurodiran turtle from the Late Cretaceous of South America. It is the only species in the genus Amabilis.
Sindhochelys is a genus of extinct turtle of the family Bothremydidae. It lived during the early Paleocene in what is known Sindh, Pakistan. The genus was discovered in the Khadro Formation and named in December 2021. The genus represents the first known member of its family in Pakistan. The family Bothremydidae lived from the Cenomanian of the early Cretaceous to the Miocene epoch.
Maliamia is an extinct genus of amiid ray-finned fish from the Early Eocene, known from fragmentary remains found in the Tamaguélelt Formation of Mali. It was described in 1989, based on fossils recovered by three separate expeditions in 1975, 1979–80, and 1981. The type species is Maliamia gigas, named in reference to its large size.
The Dercetidae are an extinct family of aulopiform fish that are known from the Late Cretaceous to the early Paleocene. They are among the many members of the diverse, extinct suborder Enchodontoidei, which were dominant during the Cretaceous.