Cratochelone Temporal range: | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Family: | † Protostegidae |
Genus: | † Cratochelone |
Species: | †C. berneyi |
Binomial name | |
†Cratochelone berneyi Longman, 1915 | |
Cratochelone is an extinct genus of sea turtle in the family Protostegidae and containing a single species Cratochelone berneyi. [1] The species is known only from the mid to late Albian Toolebuc Formation, part of the rolling downs group, in the Hughenden of Central northern Queensland, Australia. [1]
Cratochelone berneyi is known only from one fossil, the holotype, specimen number "QM F14550". The specimen is composed of a grouping of disassociated post-cranial skeleton elements in a hard, fine-grained and "dirty-stone colored" sedimentary matrix. The bones include portions of the left side plastron, the shoulder girdle, and segments of a forelimb. The fossil is thought to have been recovered by F. L. Berney from outcrops of the Toolebuc Formation exposed in the Eromanga Basin. [1] The type specimen is currently preserved in the paleontology collections housed in the Queensland Museum, in Brisbane, Australia. Cratochelone was first studied by Herber A. Longman, husband of Irene Longman, of the Queensland Museum. Longman's 1915 type description of the genus and species was published in the Memoirs of the Queensland Museum . [1] The generic name was coined by Longman to be a contradistinction of the related Albian genus Notochelone also described from Queensland. The specific epithet berneyi is in honor of F. L. Berney who recovered and donated the specimen to the museum. [1] [2]
Cratochelone bernedi is one of three protostegid sea turtle taxa described from the fossil record of Australia. Described in 1885 Notochelone costata is the smallest species, while the most recently described species Bouliachelys suteri , is between Notochelone and Cratochelone in size. [1]
In his type description Longman noted the incomplete nature of the fossil and hoped that more complete specimens would be found. [2] Despite this, the type specimen remains the only known specimen of the species. [1]
The holotype specimen's forelimb is represented by the proximal ends of the radius, ulna and humerus. Though missing, the shaft of the humerus was similar to those found in primitive protostegid species. The wide angle of divergence between the scapular processes is similar to a number of early protostegid and cheloniids. The wide wings along the entoplastron and its lack of fusion with the surrounding bones indicates that Longman's placement of the genus is accurate. Longman noted the very large size of the bones, and estimated a complete specimen may have reached close to 4 metres (13 ft). [2] This size was regarded as dubious by later researchers and was recorded several times as 2 metres (6.6 ft). Within his re-description of the type material in 2006, Benjamin Kear reaffirmed the size of full specimens to be in the 4 metres (13 ft) range.
Kronosaurus is an extinct genus of short-necked pliosaurs that lived during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now Australia. It is a monotypic genus with one species K. queenslandicus, described in 1924 from the Toolebuc Formation in Queensland, Australia. With traditionally attributed fossils indicating a total length of up to 10 meters (33 ft), Kronosaurus may have been among the largest pliosaurs.
Argyrosaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur that lived about 70 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now Argentina.
Nanantius is a genus of extinct enantiornithean avialan known from the Early Cretaceous of Australia.
Protostega is an extinct genus of sea turtle containing a single species, Protostega gigas. Its fossil remains have been found in the Smoky Hill Chalk formation of western Kansas, time-equivalent beds of the Mooreville Chalk Formation of Alabama and Campanian beds of the Rybushka Formation. Fossil specimens of this species were first collected in 1871, and named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1872. With a total length of 3.9 metres (13 ft), it is the second-largest sea turtle that ever lived, second only to the giant Archelon, and one of the three largest turtle of all time along Archelon and Gigantatypus.
Bennettazhia is a genus of tapejaromorph pterosaur which lived during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous from what is now the Hudspeth Formation of the state of Oregon in the United States. Although originally identified as a species of the pteranodontoid pterosaur Pteranodon, Bennettazhia is now thought to have been a different animal. The type and only species is B. oregonensis.
Notochelone is an extinct genus of sea turtle, which existed about 100 million years ago. The species was first described by Richard Owen in 1882 as Notochelys costata. It was renamed by Richard Lydekker in 1889. It was the most common marine reptile living in the inlands of the sea around Queensland, Australia. Its holotype was a small turtle, and was about the same size as the modern green turtle, but might have been a juvenile. Analytical studies have indicated that the creatures frequently ate benthic molluscs.
Desmatochelys is an extinct genus of sea turtles belonging to the family Protostegidae. This genus contains two known species, D. lowii and D. padillai. D. lowii was first discovered in 1895, followed by D. padillai in 2015. Having been estimated at over 120 million years old, D. padillai is currently the oldest known species of sea turtle.
Mythunga is a genus of anhanguerid pterosaur from the late Early Cretaceous of Australia. Fossil remains of Mythunga dated back to the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous, and the animal itself was found to be a close relative of another Australian anhanguerid called Ferrodraco.
The Toolebuc Formation is a geological formation that extends from Queensland across South Australia and the Northern Territory in Australia, whose strata date back to the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, protostegid turtles, sharks, chimaeroids and bony fish remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.
Eromangasaurus is an extinct genus of elasmosaurid known from northern Queensland of Australia.
Flindersichthys is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch.
Wintonotitan is a genus of titanosauriform dinosaur from late Albian -age Winton Formation of Australia. It is known from partial postcranial remains.
Diamantinasaurus is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod from Australia that lived during the early Late Cretaceous, about 94 million years ago. The type species of the genus is D. matildae, first described and named in 2009 by Scott Hocknull and colleagues based on fossil finds in the Winton Formation. Meaning "Diamantina lizard", the name is derived from the location of the nearby Diamantina River and the Greek word sauros, "lizard". The specific epithet is from the Australian song Waltzing Matilda, also the locality of the holotype and paratype. The known skeleton includes most of the forelimb, shoulder girdle, pelvis, hindlimb and ribs of the holotype, and one shoulder bone, a radius and some vertebrae of the paratype.
Kryoryctes is a genus of prehistoric monotreme mammal from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) Eumeralla Formation of Victoria, Australia from the Otway Group of Dinosaur Cove. It is known only from a partial right humerus, estimated at 106 million years old, and contains one species, K. cadburyi. The holotype, NMV P20894, was described in 2005 and is currently housed in the Museums Victoria Palaeontological Collection.
Leyvachelys is an extinct genus of turtles in the family Sandownidae from the Early Cretaceous of the present-day Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges, Colombian Andes. The genus is known only from its type species, Leyvachelys cipadi, described in 2015 by Colombian paleontologist Edwin Cadena. Fossils of Leyvachelys have been found in the fossiliferous Paja Formation, close to Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, after which the genus is named. The holotype specimen is the oldest and most complete sandownid turtle found to date.
Ferrodraco is an extinct genus of anhanguerid pterosaur known from the Late Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, containing the single species F. lentoni. The species was named after the former mayor of Winton, Graham Thomas ‘Butch’ Lenton. It is the most complete pterosaur fossil from Australia, being known from the holotype specimen AODF 876, consisting primarily of the anterior portion of the skull and dentary, cervical vertebral centra and a partial wing. Its wingspan was estimated to be about 4 meters (13 ft). Ferrodraco was found to have been within the subfamily Ornithocheirinae, as sister taxon to Mythunga. A recent study also recovered Ferrodraco as sister taxon to Mythunga, but both placed within the family Anhangueridae, more specifically within the subfamily Tropeognathinae. Ferrodraco is also the latest surviving member of Anhangueria.
Targaryendraco is a genus of pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous period of Hannover, northern Germany. Fossil remains of Targaryendraco dated back about 132 million years ago.
Australotitan is an extinct genus of titanosaurian sauropod that existed during the Cenomanian-Turonian age of the Late Cretaceous in what is now southern-central Queensland, Australia. The genus contains a single species, Australotitan cooperensis.
Thapunngaka is a genus of anhanguerid pterosaur recovered from the Early Cretaceous marine Toolebuc Formation in Queensland, Australia. Thapunngaka represents the largest pterosaur known from the Australian continent. The genus currently contains a single species, Thapunngaka shawi.
Australopachycormus is an extinct genus pachycormiform fish. It is only known from the type species, A. hurleyi, from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) Toolebuc Formation of Queensland, Australia. Like the related Protosphyraena, it possessed an elongated rostrum.