Chelonoidis monensis

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Chelonoidis monensis
Temporal range: Late Pleistocene–Late Holocene
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Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Testudinidae
Genus: Chelonoidis
Species:
C. monensis
Binomial name
Chelonoidis monensis
Williams, 1952
Synonyms
Synonymy
  • Testudo monensis
  • Geochelone monensis
  • Monachelys monensis

Chelonoidis monensis, also known as the Mona tortoise, is an extinct species of land tortoise that lived on the island of Mona from the Late Pleistocene to around 1000 BCE. [1] [2] Evidence for the latter date includes cave drawings. All fossil remains have been found either in or near Liro Cave on the east side of Mona. [3] It had a carapace length of around 50 cm.

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References

  1. Rhodin, A.G.J.; Thomson, S.; Georgalis, G.; Karl, H.-V.; Danilov, I.G.; Takahashi, A.; de la Fuente, M.S.; Bourque, J.R.; Delfino M.; Bour, R.; Iverson, J.B.; Shaffer, H.B.; van Dijk, P.P.; et al. (Turtle Extinctions Working Group) (2015). Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: first checklist and review of extinct Pleistocene and Holocene chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs. Vol. 5. pp. 000e.1–66. doi: 10.3854/crm.5.000e.fossil.checklist.v1.2015 . ISBN   978-0965354097.
  2. "Chelonoidis monensis Williams 1952". Paleobiology Database.
  3. Albury, Nancy A.; Franz, Richard; Rimoli, Renato; Lehman, Phillip; Rosenberger, Alfred L. (9 August 2018). "Fossil land tortoises (Testudines: Testudinidae) from the Dominican Republic, West Indies, with a description of a new species" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3904): 1–28. doi:10.1206/3904.1. S2CID   92186485 . Retrieved 23 January 2023.