TY - JOUR AU - Degrange, Federico J. AU - Nieto, M. Nicolas AU - Sterli, Juliana AU - Vlachos, Evangelos TI - Biomechanical skull performance in the meiolaniid Niolamia argentina (Testudinata: Meiolaniidae) using Finite Element Analysis JF - JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY J2 - J VERTEBR PALEONTOL PY - 2024 PG - 8 SN - 0272-4634 DO - 10.1080/02724634.2024.2357315 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/35337352 ID - 35337352 LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Evers, Serjoscha W. AU - Al Iawati, Zahra TI - Digital skull anatomy of the Oligocene North American tortoise Stylemys nebrascensis with taxonomic comments on the species and comparisons with extant testudinids of the Gopherus-Manouria clade JF - SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY J2 - SWISS J PALAEON VL - 143 PY - 2024 IS - 1 PG - 37 SN - 1664-2376 DO - 10.1186/s13358-024-00311-y UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34937449 ID - 34937449 LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Chiarenza, Alfio Alessandro AU - Waterson, Amy M. AU - Schmidt, Daniela N. AU - Valdes, Paul J. AU - Yesson, Chris AU - Holroyd, Patricia A. AU - Collinson, Margaret E. AU - Farnsworth, Alexander AU - Nicholson, David B. AU - Varela, Sara AU - Barrett, Paul M. TI - 100 million years of turtle paleoniche dynamics enable the prediction of latitudinal range shifts in a warming world JF - CURRENT BIOLOGY J2 - CURR BIOL VL - 33 PY - 2023 IS - 1 SP - 109 EP - + PG - 17 SN - 0960-9822 DO - 10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.056 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33932224 ID - 33932224 AB - Past responses to environmental change provide vital baseline data for estimating the potential resilience of extant taxa to future change. Here, we investigate the latitudinal range contraction that terrestrial and fresh-water turtles (Testudinata) experienced from the Late Cretaceous to the Paleogene (100.5-23.03 mya) in response to major climatic changes. We apply ecological niche modeling (ENM) to reconstruct turtle niches, using ancient and modern distribution data, paleogeographic reconstructions, and the HadCM3L climate model to quantify their range shifts in the Cretaceous and late Eocene. We then use the insights provided by these models to infer their probable ecological responses to future climate scenarios at different represen-tative concentration pathways (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5 for 2100), which project globally increased temperatures and spreading arid biomes at lower to mid-latitudes. We show that turtle ranges are predicted to expand poleward in the Northern Hemisphere, with decreased habitat suitability at lower latitudes, inverting a trend of latitudinal range contraction that has been prevalent since the Eocene. Trionychids and freshwater turtles can more easily track their niches than Testudinidae and other terrestrial groups. However, habitat destruc-tion and fragmentation at higher latitudes will probably reduce the capability of turtles and tortoises to cope with future climate changes. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Evers, Serjoscha W. AU - Chapelle, Kimberley E. J. AU - Joyce, Walter G. TI - Cranial and mandibular anatomy of Plastomenus thomasii and a new time-tree of trionychid evolution JF - SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY J2 - SWISS J PALAEON VL - 142 PY - 2023 IS - 1 PG - 40 SN - 1664-2376 DO - 10.1186/s13358-023-00267-5 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33903729 ID - 33903729 AB - Trionychid (softshell) turtles have a peculiar bauplan, which includes shell reductions and cranial elongation. Despite a rich fossil record dating back to the Early Cretaceous, the evolutionary origin of the trionychid bauplan is poorly understood, as even old fossils show great anatomical similarities to extant species. Documenting structural detail of fossil trionychids may help resolve the evolutionary history of the group. Here, we study the cranial and mandibular anatomy of Plastomenus thomasii using mu CT scanning. Plastomenus thomasii belongs to the Plastomenidae, a long-lived (Santonian-Eocene) clade with uncertain affinities among trionychid subclades. The skulls of known plastomenids are characterized by unusual features otherwise not known among trionychids, such as extremely elongated, spatulate mandibular symphyses. We use anatomical observations for updated phylogenetic analyses using both parsimony and Bayesian methods. There is strong support across methods for stem-cyclanorbine affinities for plastomenids. The inclusion of stratigraphic data in our Bayesian analysis indicates that a range of Cretaceous Asian fossils including Perochelys lamadongensis may be stem-trionychids, suggesting that many features of trionychid anatomy evolved prior to the appearance of the crown group. Divergence time estimates from Bayesian tip-dating for the origin of crown Trionychia (134.0 Ma) and Pan-Trionychidae (123.8 Ma) constrain the evolutionary time span during which the trionychid bauplan has evolved to a range of < 11 million years. Bayesian rate estimation implies high morphological rates during early softshell turtle evolution. If correct, plastomenids partially fill the stratigraphic gap which results from shallow divergence times of crown cyclanorbines during the late Eocene. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Farina, Bruna M. AU - Godoy, Pedro L. AU - Benson, Roger B. J. AU - Langer, Max C. AU - Ferreira, Gabriel S. TI - Turtle body size evolution is determined by lineage-specific specializations rather than global trends JF - ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION J2 - ECOL EVOL VL - 13 PY - 2023 IS - 6 PG - 23 SN - 2045-7758 DO - 10.1002/ece3.10201 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34273647 ID - 34273647 AB - Organisms display a considerable variety of body sizes and shapes, and macroevolutionary investigations help to understand the evolutionary dynamics behind such variations. Turtles (Testudinata) show great body size disparity, especially when their rich fossil record is accounted for. We explored body size evolution in turtles, testing which factors might influence the observed patterns and evaluating the existence of long-term directional trends. We constructed the most comprehensive body size dataset for the group to date, tested for correlation with paleotemperature, estimated ancestral body sizes, and performed macroevolutionary model-fitting analyses. We found no evidence for directional body size evolution, even when using very flexible models, thereby rejecting the occurrence of Cope's rule. We also found no significant effect of paleotemperature on overall through-time body size patterns. In contrast, we found a significant influence of habitat preference on turtle body size. Freshwater turtles display a rather homogeneous body size distribution through time. In contrast, terrestrial and marine turtles show more pronounced variation, with terrestrial forms being restricted to larger body sizes, up to the origin of testudinids in the Cenozoic, and marine turtles undergoing a reduction in body size disparity after the extinctions of many groups in the mid-Cenozoic. Our results, therefore, suggest that long-term, generalized patterns are probably explained by factors specific to certain groups and related at least partly to habitat use. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Pappa, Irena AU - Vlachos, Evangelos AU - Moser, Markus TI - A new species of a giant tortoise from Sandelzhausen (MN5, Burdigalian/Langhian boundary, Early/Middle Miocene, South Germany) JF - ANATOMICAL RECORD J2 - ANAT REC PY - 2023 PG - 14 SN - 1932-8486 DO - 10.1002/ar.25280 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34321716 ID - 34321716 AB - We describe a new species of a giant tortoise of the genus Titanochelon from the locality of Sandelzhausen in south Germany (MN5, Burdigalian/Langhian boundary, Early/Middle Miocene). The material comprises at least two different individuals, one of which is a male individual preserving large parts of the carapace and plastron and several appendicular elements. The second individual is quite fragmented, preserving parts of the bridge and the posterior rim of the carapace. The new species, Titanochelon schleichi sp. nov., is the first species of a giant tortoise named from Germany and allows reconstructing an important diversity and expansion of titanochelones in the Western Palaearctic during the earlier parts of the Neogene. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Silveira, Isabela Oliveira AU - Liparini, Alexandre AU - Martinez, Pablo A. AU - Eduardo, Anderson A. TI - The global Cenozoic diversification process of tortoises (Testudinidae) JF - ANATOMICAL RECORD J2 - ANAT REC VL - 306 PY - 2023 IS - 6 SP - 1528 EP - 1536 PG - 9 SN - 1932-8486 DO - 10.1002/ar.25182 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33932223 ID - 33932223 AB - Great environmental changes may affect the survival capability of a variety of organisms. Testudinidae is the most diverse family of terrestrial chelonians within the whole order (Testudines). Interestingly, however, the number of extinct species overcome the extant ones. In order to understand better how the diversification process of this family occurred, this work used the PyRate software, which estimates both the preservation and diversification processes in a continuous time interval. For such, the software used a list of fossil occurrences obtained from the Paleobiology Database whereas the extant species list was obtained from Catalogue of Life. This way, the software was able to infer the probability of the ancestral clade having resulted in these species during its evolutionary history. The analyses generated graphs containing the diversification, extinction and speciation curves and their respective associated 95% credibility intervals. A great rise in the extinction rate was observed starting 6 million years ago. This rise is believed to be related to the drop of atmospheric CO2 all over the globe at the end of the Miocene, about 8-6 million years ago. This event led to a turnover of the vegetation composition on the warmer areas of the planet, with plants that used C3 metabolism giving way to C4 plants. In terms of landscape, grasses and herbal vegetation, such as savannas, started dominating. As for other animal groups, those herbivores with grazing habits were more successful than those used to only browsing or that did not have enough flexibility of choice. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Torres, Fernando AU - Huang, E. J. AU - Roman-Carrion, Jose Luis AU - Bever, Gabriel S. TI - New insights into the origin of the Galápagos tortoises with a tip-dated analysis of Testudinidae JF - JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY J2 - J VERTEBR PALEONTOL VL - 43 PY - 2023 IS - 4 PG - 11 SN - 0272-4634 DO - 10.1080/02724634.2024.2313615 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34970075 ID - 34970075 LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Zoboli, Daniel AU - Georgalis, Georgios L. AU - Arca, Marisa AU - Tuveri, Caterinella AU - Carboni, Salvatore AU - Lecca, Luciano AU - Pillola, Gian Luigi AU - Rook, Lorenzo AU - Villani, Mauro AU - Chesi, Francesco AU - Delfino, Massimo TI - An overview of the fossil turtles from Sardinia (Italy) JF - HISTORICAL BIOLOGY J2 - HIST BIOL VL - 35 PY - 2023 IS - 8 SP - 1484 EP - 1513 PG - 30 SN - 0891-2963 DO - 10.1080/08912963.2022.2098488 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399818 ID - 33399818 AB - We review in detail the published fossil record of turtles from Sardinia and, in addition, we document previously undescribed specimens for the first time. Among these undescribed specimens, is the oldest occurrence of Testudo hermanni on the island, from the Early Pleistocene of Monte Tuttavista. The turtle fossil record in Sardinia goes back to the Eocene and comprises 18 different taxa, pertaining to 6 lineages: Podocnemididae, Cheloniidae, Emydidae, Geoemydidae, Testudinidae, and Trionychidae. Remarkable is the occurrence of Eocene pleurodires, whose presence is in agreement with the Oligo-Miocene rifting of the Corso-Sardinian block. Interestingly, the fossil record provides evidence for the presence in the island of both Testudo hermanni and Emys orbicularis during the Pleistocene although according to molecular data the extant populations of these two taxa were introduced in recent times. Finally, a large ungual phalanx from the Middle-Late Pleistocene Monte San Giovanni bone breccia testifies the occurrence of a giant tortoise in the Quaternary terrestrial ecosystem of Sardinia. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Carbot-Chanona, Gerardo AU - Jimenez-Hidalgo, Eduardo AU - Alberto Diaz-Cruz, Jesus AU - Rivera-Velazquez, Gustavo AU - Hugo Reynoso, Victor TI - A new large tortoise from the early Oligocene (Arikareean NALMA) of Oaxaca, southern Mexico and its phylogenetic position within Pan-Testudinidae JF - HISTORICAL BIOLOGY J2 - HIST BIOL PY - 2022 PG - 14 SN - 0891-2963 DO - 10.1080/08912963.2022.2114352 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399816 ID - 33399816 AB - Pan-Testudinidae is the total clade of extant terrestrial tortoises, which includes extinct fossil members of their stem lineage. Members of this clade have a rather scarce fossil record in Mexico, and the few specimens known in scientific collections are poorly studied. Here, we described a new species of basal testudinid turtle, based on a single specimen from the early Oligocene deposits exposed in the marginal facies of the Chilapa Formation in Oaxaca, southern Mexico. The new taxon exhibits osteological characteristics that support its insertion as a basal Testudinidae. The phylogenetic relationships of the new turtle were assessed using a total evidence approach (morphological + molecular) in a global Pan-Testudinidae context using Implied Weighted Maximum Parsimony (IWMP), Standard Maximum Parsimony (SMP) and Bayesian Inference (BI). Although the BI consensus tree is not well resolved, the results obtained by IWMP and SMP retrieved its branching close to the root of Testudinidae. The differences between the topologies of the three phylogenetic analyses show that the position of several taxa within Testudinidae is affected by the phylogenetic analyses performed. The new taxon from Oaxaca, here reported, represents the first Palaeogene and the southernmost tortoise described from Mexico and the oldest Testudinidae known in the country. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - de la Fuente, Marcelo S. AU - Romano Munoz, Cristo O. AU - Gonzalez Ruiz, Pablo AU - Garrido, Alberto C. AU - Forasiepi, Analia M. AU - Jannello, Juan M. AU - Maniel, Ignacio J. TI - Tortoises and turtles from Huayquerias del Este (late Miocene-early Pliocene), Mendoza, Argentina JF - ANATOMICAL RECORD J2 - ANAT REC PY - 2022 PG - 29 SN - 1932-8486 DO - 10.1002/ar.25136 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33932225 ID - 33932225 AB - We report new occurrences of Testudinidae and Chelidae from 11 different fossil sites in the Huayquerias and Tunuyan formations (late Miocene-Pliocene) in the Huayquerias del Este, Mendoza, Argentina. A total of 36 specimens were collected, representing at least three taxa from two different clades: 80.6% Testudinidae and 19.4% Chelidae. Testudinids are present throughout the stratigraphic succession, in alluvial, fluvial, and interdune sedimentary environments, represented by dorsal and plastron carapace plates, with some remains of the appendicular skeleton. A complete articulated plastron with some peripheral plates of the carapace was also recognized and is assigned to the extant species Chelonoidis chilensis, representing the oldest record for this taxon (late Miocene, Messinian). Another possible morphotype was recognized in the form of a large scapular girdle and femur that likely corresponded to an individual with a dorsal carapace of about 80 cm. This assemblage of small and large tortoise species is recognized for first time in the Messinian Age/Stage of Mendoza. Chelids are mostly restricted to fluvial deposits in the upper part of the Huayquerias Formation, except for two specimens which appear in the lower part. One specimen is represented by a right half plastron of an indeterminate Chelidae species which could correspond to a carapace of up to 24 cm in length with plastral lobes narrower than those observed in Phrynops species. Another specimen is characterized by a large costovertebral tunnel in the carapace, peripheral plates of the posterior margin of the carapace with ornamentation of fine grooves forming irregular polygons. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Evers, Serjoscha W. AU - Ponstein, Jasper AU - Jansen, Maren A. AU - Gray, Jaimi A. AU - Froebisch, Joerg TI - A systematic compendium of turtle mandibular anatomy using digital dissections of soft tissue and osteology JF - ANATOMICAL RECORD J2 - ANAT REC PY - 2022 PG - 76 SN - 1932-8486 DO - 10.1002/ar.25037 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33306030 ID - 33306030 N1 - Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany Division of Herpetology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States Export Date: 17 January 2023 Correspondence Address: Evers, S.W.; Department of Geosciences, Switzerland; email: serjoscha.evers@googlemail.com AB - Turtles are a charismatic reptile group with a peculiar body plan, which most notably includes the shell. Anatomists have often focused descriptive efforts on the shell and other strongly derived body parts, such as the akinetic skull, or the cervical vertebrae. Other parts of turtle osteology, like the girdles, limbs, and mandibles, are documented with less rigor and detail. The mandible is the primary skeletal element involved in food acquisition and initial food processing of turtles, and its features are thus likely linked to feeding ecology. In addition, the mandible of turtles is composed of up to seven bones (sometimes fused to as little as three) and has thus anatomical complexity that may be insightful for systematic purposes and phylogenetic research. Despite apparent complexity and diversity to the mandible of turtles, this anatomical system has not been systematically studied, not even in search of characters that might improve phylogenetic resolution. Here, we describe the mandibular osteology for all major subclades of extant turtles with the help of digitally dissected 3D models derived from high-resolution computed tomography (mu CT) scans of 70 extant species. We provide 31 fully segmented mandibles, as well as 3D models of the mandibular musculature, innervation, and arterial circulation of the cryptodire Dermatemys mawii. We synthesize observed variation into 51 morphological characters, which we optimize onto a molecular phylogeny. This analysis shows some mandibular characters to have high systematic value, whereas others are highly homoplastic and may underlie ecological influences or other factors invoking variation. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Helm, Charles W. AU - Carr, Andrew S. AU - Cawthra, Hayley C. AU - De Vynck, Jan C. AU - Dixon, Mark G. AU - Lockley, Martin G. AU - Stear, Willo AU - Venter, Jan A. TI - Large Pleistocene tortoise tracks on the Cape south coast of South Africa JF - QUATERNARY RESEARCH J2 - QUATERNARY RES PY - 2022 PG - 18 SN - 0033-5894 DO - 10.1017/qua.2022.50 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399814 ID - 33399814 AB - Although tortoises (Testudinidae) are a familiar clade of reptiles, with a body fossil record extending to at least the Eocene, hitherto no tortoise ichnosites have been described. Here, a number of sites attributed to tortoise trackmakers are identified within Pleistocene aeolianites on South Africa's Cape south coast. These date from late Marine Isotope Stage 6 to Marine Isotope Stage 4. The findings indicate large trackmakers, with evidence of a trackmaker length of more than a meter-substantially longer than the largest extant tortoises in southern Africa. This suggests either the presence of an extinct very large tortoise species, or that Pleistocene leopard tortoises in the region were larger than their descendants. Variations in substrate properties are responsible for a variety of track and trace forms. A mismatch exists between the reported ichnological evidence for large tortoises, and the regional archaeological and body fossil records, which almost exclusively comprise smaller tortoises. The findings illustrate the potential of ichnology to complement and augment the paleontological and archaeological records. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Joos, Julia AU - Pimiento, Catalina AU - Miles, Donald B. AU - Mueller, Johannes TI - Quaternary megafauna extinctions altered body size distribution in tortoises JF - PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES J2 - P ROY SOC B-BIOL SCI VL - 289 PY - 2022 IS - 1987 PG - 10 SN - 0962-8452 DO - 10.1098/rspb.2022.1947 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399812 ID - 33399812 AB - The late Quaternary is characterized by the extinction of many terrestrial megafauna, which included tortoises (Family: Testudinidae). However, limited information is available on how extinction shaped the phenotype of surviving taxa. Here, based on a global dataset of straight carapace length, we investigate the temporal variation, spatial distribution and evolution of tortoise body size over the past 23 million years, thereby capturing the effects of Quaternary extinctions in this clade. We found a significant change in body size distribution characterized by a reduction of both mean body size and maximum body size of extant tortoises relative to fossil taxa. This reduction of body size occurred earlier in mainland (Early Pleistocene 2.588-0.781 Ma) than in island tortoises (Late Pleistocene/Holocene 0.126-0 Ma). Despite contrasting body size patterns between fossil and extant taxa on a spatial scale, tortoise body size showed limited variation over time until this decline. Body size is a fundamental functional trait determining many aspects of species ecologies, with large tortoises playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. As such, the transition from larger sized to smaller sized classes indicated by our findings likely resulted in the homogenization of tortoises' ecological functions and diminished the role of tortoises in structuring the vegetation community. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Saltsidou, Maria AU - Paschalidou, Anthi AU - Sylvestrou, Ioanna AU - Vlachos, Evangelos TI - The latest Miocene to Pliocene small-sized fossil turtles, Testudinidae and Geoemydidae, from Makrygialos, Thermaikos Gulf, Northern Greece JF - ANATOMICAL RECORD J2 - ANAT REC PY - 2022 PG - 20 SN - 1932-8486 DO - 10.1002/ar.25026 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399819 ID - 33399819 AB - Although the existence of fossil turtles in Makrygialos and the surrounding areas, on the west side of the Thermaikos Gulf in Northern Greece, has been known for almost two decades, it has not been studied so far in detail. Over the last 5 years, we have conducted systematic fieldwork and exploration, focusing on the discovery and recovery of fossils in the coastal broader area of Makrygialos. Eleven turtle specimens have been found so far, eight of which have been collected, on the outcrops of the beaches of Makrygialos and Agiannis. Their age is estimated between the latest Miocene and Pliocene. Four of these specimens are terrestrial giant tortoises, two of them are small tortoises which we identify as the species Chersine hermanni sensu lato, and the last two are freshwater turtles which we attribute to the genus Mauremys sensu lato. Here, we present our studies on the small-sized turtle species from this region. The fossil turtle fauna of Makrygialos is among the richest and most diverse in Greece, as in only a few other Greek localities at least three species of fossil turtles have been found. The C. hermanni specimens found in Makrygialos are probably the oldest fossils of the species found in Europe. The small-turtle faunal composition during the Neogene along the east and west sides of the Thermaikos Gulf was completely different. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Syromyatnikova, Elena TI - The last tortoise of Crimea: first record from the Early Pleistocene JF - HISTORICAL BIOLOGY J2 - HIST BIOL PY - 2022 PG - 6 SN - 0891-2963 DO - 10.1080/08912963.2022.2132159 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399815 ID - 33399815 AB - Fragments of a shell and limb bones of tortoise (Testudinidae: Testudo s. l.) were found in the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida Cave, Crimean Peninsula. The remains belong to a relatively large individual with a shell of about 35 cm in length, which is larger than the modern Mediterranean representatives of Testudo s. l. The specimen is the first testudinid record in the Pleistocene of Crimea and apparently represents the last testudinid on the peninsula. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Valenti, Pietro AU - Vlachos, Evangelos AU - Kehlmaier, Christian AU - Fritz, Uwe AU - Georgalis, Georgios L. AU - Hernandez Lujan, Angel AU - Micciche, Roberto AU - Sineo, Luca AU - Delfino, Massimo TI - The last of the large-sized tortoises of the Mediterranean islands JF - ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY J2 - ZOOL J LINN SOC-LOND VL - 196 PY - 2022 IS - 4 SP - 1704 EP - 1717 PG - 14 SN - 0024-4082 DO - 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac044 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399820 ID - 33399820 AB - Archaeological investigations carried out in the cave Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro, Bagheria, Sicily, revealed the presence of a few skeletal elements of a large-sized tortoise in a funerary area dating to the Copper/Bronze Age. The tortoise has been AMS-dated revealing an age of 12.5 +/- 0.5 kyr BP and therefore it pre-dates the funerary activities. The morphology of the retrieved skeletal elements differs from that of the only native tortoise currently living in Sicily, Testudo hermanni. The tortoise's size significantly exceeds the size range of extant Te. hermanni and all Testudo spp., as well as that of their known fossils, and suggests a shell length of 50-60 cm. Repeated efforts to obtain DNA sequences from the tortoise of Zubbio di Cozzo San Pietro failed, but the morphology of the femur is distinct enough to allow us to erect a new taxon, Solitudo sicula gen. et sp. nov., based on a parsimony analysis. It belongs to a hitherto unrecognized clade that includes other large-sized tortoises from Mediterranean islands, like Malta and Menorca. A review of the pertinent taxa indicates that the remains here described represent the geologically youngest large-sized tortoise of the Mediterranean area. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Agnolin, F. L. TI - A New Tortoise from the Pleistocene of Argentina with Comments on the Extinction of Late Pleistocene Tortoises and Plant Communities JF - PALEONTOLOGICAL JOURNAL J2 - PALEONTOL J+ VL - 55 PY - 2021 IS - 8 SP - 913 EP - 922 PG - 10 SN - 0031-0301 DO - 10.1134/S0031030121080037 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399823 ID - 33399823 AB - The fossil record of terrestrial tortoises in Argentina is patchy. The aim of the present contribution is to describe a new species of the genus Chelonoidis coming from the Middle Pleistocene of Buenos Aires province. This new species shows a unique combination of apomorphic and plesiomorphic characters unnoticed in other South American taxa. By Pleistocene times, South America was inhabited by diverse giant and small terrestrial chelonians that became extinct at the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary. This should have a deep impact on different plant communities, because tortoises probably constituted important seed dispersors. In this sense, several extant plant species that show a patchy distribution and deficient germination and dispersal, may have been negatively affected by the extinction of Pleistocene tortoises. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Georgalis, Georgios L. AU - Macaluso, Loredana AU - Delfino, Massimo TI - A Review of the Fossil Record of Afro-Arabian Turtles of the Clade Testudinoidea JF - BULLETIN OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY J2 - B PEABODY MUS NAT HIST VL - 62 PY - 2021 IS - 1 SP - 43 EP - 78 PG - 36 SN - 0079-032X DO - 10.3374/014.062.0103 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/32409831 ID - 32409831 AB - Turtles of the clade Testudinoidea have a rather scarce fossil record in Afro-Arabia, ranging from the late Eocene up to the Quaternary. The vast majority of testudinoid fossils from Afro-Arabia are ascribed to Testudinidae, which has had a continuous presence in the area since the late Eocene. Geoemydidae is poorly documented by fragments found throughout the Neogene across northern Africa and the Middle East. Emydidae is absent from the fossil record of this area. All valid named taxa pertain to testudinids. Within Testudinidae, the majority of known fossil species are members of the clade Geochelona, while a few others belong to the clade Testudona. Four fossil taxa are members of now-extinct genera, five are members of extant genera, and seven cannot be assigned to a known genus with certainty. The fossil record also documents that several extant genera had a much broader distribution during the Neogene and Quaternary. Endemic insular lineages were formerly present on the Canary Islands, Cape Verde islands, and on several islands in the Western Indian Ocean. The highest known diversity of testudinoids seems to have existed during the Neogene; however, definitive conclusions are hampered by the extremely poor Paleogene record and large, unsampled areas of Afro-Arabia. A taxonomic review of the 22 named Afro-Arabian taxa finds 16 nomina valida, 1 nomen invalidum, and 5 nomina dubia. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Georgalis, Georgios L. AU - Delfino, Massimo TI - The Scontrone turtles - A new insular testudinoid fauna from the late Miocene of the Central Mediterranean JF - GEOBIOS J2 - GEOBIOS-LYON VL - 68 PY - 2021 SP - 71 EP - 81 PG - 11 SN - 0016-6995 DO - 10.1016/j.geobios.2021.05.001 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399824 ID - 33399824 AB - We here describe a small turtle assemblage originating from the early Tortonian (late Miocene) palaeoisland of Scontrone, central Italy, a locality previously known mostly for its endemic mammals and giant birds, which were otherwise shared only with the Gargano localities, another fossiliferous area belonging to the same palaeobioprovince. The fossil turtle remains from Scontrone are referred to the geoemydid Mauremys sp. and a so far unidentified large-sized testudinid. The biogeographic origins of the Scontrone insular chelonians are discussed. The Scontrone geoemydid adds to the known occurrences of Mauremys in the late Miocene of the Mediterranean. The Scontrone large tortoise represents the oldest known Mediterranean insular testudinid, predating significantly the well-known Quaternary endemic island tortoises of the area. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Joyce, Walter G. AU - Anquetin, Jeremy AU - Cadena, Edwin-Alberto AU - Claude, Julien AU - Danilov, Igor G. AU - Evers, Serjoscha W. AU - Ferreira, Gabriel S. AU - Gentry, Andrew D. AU - Georgalis, Georgios L. AU - Lyson, Tyler R. AU - Perez-Garcia, Adan AU - Rabi, Marton AU - Sterli, Juliana AU - Vitek, Natasha S. AU - Parham, James F. TI - A nomenclature for fossil and living turtles using phylogenetically defined clade names JF - SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY J2 - SWISS J PALAEON VL - 140 PY - 2021 IS - 1 PG - 45 SN - 1664-2376 DO - 10.1186/s13358-020-00211-x UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/32274195 ID - 32274195 N1 - Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, Fribourg, 1700, Switzerland Jurassica Museum, Route de Fontenais 21, Porrentruy, 2900, Switzerland Grupo de Investigación Paleontología Neotropical Tradicional Y Molecular (PaleoNeo), Universidad del Rosario, Cra 26 63b-48, Bogotá, 111211, Colombia Intitut Des Sciences de L’Evolution de Montpellier, UMR CNRS/UM, IRD/EPHE, 2, Pl. E. Bataillon, cc65, Montpellier, 34095, France Department of Herpetology, Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Emb. 1, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP) at the Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, Tübingen, 72076, Germany Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1300 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL 35233-1405, United States Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, Zurich, 8006, Switzerland Department of Earth Sciences, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO 80205, United States Grupo de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, UNED, Paseo Senda del Rey 9, Madrid, 28040, Spain Central Natural Science Collections, Martin Luther University of Halle Wittenberg, Domplatz 4, Halle (Saale), 06108, Germany CONICET-Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Av. Fontana 140, Trelew, 9100, Argentina Department of Ecology & Evolution, Stony Brook University, 632 Life Sciences Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245, United States Department of Geological Sciences, California State University, 800 North State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92834-6850, United States Cited By :25 Export Date: 8 June 2022 Correspondence Address: Joyce, W.G.; Department of Geosciences, Chemin du Musée 6, Switzerland; email: walter.joyce@unifr.ch Correspondence Address: Parham, J.F.; Department of Geological Sciences, 800 North State College Blvd., United States; email: jparham@fullerton.edu AB - Over the last 25 years, researchers, mostly paleontologists, have developed a system of rank-free, phylogenetically defined names for the primary clades of turtles. As these names are not considered established by the PhyloCode, the newly created nomenclatural system that governs the naming of clades, we take the opportunity to convert the vast majority of previously defined clade names for extinct and extant turtles into this new nomenclatural framework. Some previously defined names are converted with minor adjustments. We also define a number of new clade names to close apparent nomenclatural gaps. In total, we establish 113 clade names, of which 79 had already received phylogenetic definitions and 34 are new. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Perez-Garcia, Adan AU - Martin-Jimenez, Marcos AU - Vlachos, Evangelos AU - Codrea, Vlad TI - The most complete extinct species of Testudo (Testudines, Testudinidae) defined by several well-preserved skeletons from the late Miocene of Romania JF - JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY J2 - J SYST PALAEONTOL VL - 19 PY - 2021 IS - 18 SP - 1237 EP - 1270 PG - 34 SN - 1477-2019 DO - 10.1080/14772019.2022.2028025 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33399821 ID - 33399821 AB - The genus Testudo was considered, for more than two centuries, to group almost all tortoises that are part of current biodiversity (i.e. the members of Testudinidae), as well as the extinct representatives of that successful lineage. However, only three extant species, as well as scarce late Miocene to late Pliocene extinct ones, are now considered attributable to that genus. The fossil record of the extinct representatives is restricted to postcranial elements. They correspond almost exclusively to shells or partial shells, most of the species being known on the basis of only one individual. Abundant material of testudinids from the late Miocene of eastern Romania (Cretesti 1 fossil site, Vaslui County) is presented here. This material is attributable to Testudo, representing a new species. This find is not only relevant for the abundance of specimens, but they stand out for their unusually good preservation. Most of them are represented by partial skeletons, preserving not only several bones in anatomical connection but also some regions of the peculiar ossified dermal armour that covered their limbs. Two of these skeletons preserve the skull, which allows us to perform both the first three-dimensional reconstruction of the cranial anatomy and the first neuroanatomical study of an extinct member of Testudo. The best-preserved extinct species of the reference genus of the only extant lineage of tortoises (i.e. Testudinidae), Testudo lohanica sp. nov., is characterized in detail. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Villa, Andrea AU - Carnevale, Giorgio AU - Pavia, Marco AU - Rook, Lorenzo AU - Sami, Marco AU - Szyndlar, Zbigniew AU - Delfino, Massimo TI - AN OVERVIEW OF THE LATE MIOCENE VERTEBRATES FROM THE FISSURE FILLINGS OF MONTICINO QUARRY (BRISIGHELLA, ITALY), WITH NEW DATA ON NON-MAMMALIAN TAXA JF - RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA J2 - RIV IT PALEON STRATIG VL - 127 PY - 2021 IS - 2 SP - 297 EP - 354 PG - 58 SN - 0035-6883 DO - 10.13130/2039-4942/15774 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/32296972 ID - 32296972 N1 - Export Date: 6 September 2023 AB - The latest Messinian Monticino Quarry fissure fillings, near Brisighella in Italy, are well known for their diverse mammal fauna. Conversely, little is known about other vertebrates from this rich site. beside presenting an overview of the mammals, here we describe fish, amphibian, reptile, and bird remains, identifying three, eight, at least 18, and five taxa, respectively. Some of these represent the oldest occurrences either worldwide (an erycine snake related to Eryx jaculus, Malpolon, and otidids birds) or locally (common toads in the Apennine Peninsula and eremiadine lacertids in Europe, the latter being also the only known occurrence of these lizards in Italy). Altogether, the vertebrate fauna from Monticino Quarry is indicative of a complex palaeoenvironment, which was warm and somehow dry. water bodies were indeed present though, as well as a patchy set of habitats with loose or sandy soils, rocky outcrops, open biotopes, and (even though maybe to a lesser extent) wooded areas. Furthermore, estuarine or lagoonal conditions were likely present near the depositional site.From a palaeobiogeographical point of view, the non-mammal vertebrate assemblage from Monticino Quarry shows considerable Afro-Asian affinities at least for some components. In the context of the Italian late Miocene continental vertebrate assemblages, that of Monticino is remarkably similar to those from the Piedmont basin, especially if compared with the Tusco-Sardinian area, Apulian Platform, Calabrian Arc and Sicily. This is consistent with the palaeobiogeographic scenario defined by mammal assemblages, with northcentral Italy, Tuscany and Sardinia, Apulian Platform, and Calabria and Sicily representing separated bioprovinces. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Eugenia Pereyra, Maria AU - Bona, Paula AU - Alejandro Cerda, Ignacio AU - Marcos Jannello, Juan AU - Saul De La Fuente, Marcelo AU - Desantolo, Barbara TI - Growth dynamics and body size evolution of South American long-necked chelid turtles: A bone histology approach JF - ACTA PALAEONTOLOGICA POLONICA J2 - ACTA PALAEONTOL POL VL - 65 PY - 2020 IS - 3 SP - 535 EP - 545 PG - 11 SN - 0567-7920 DO - 10.4202/app.00702.2019 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31747253 ID - 31747253 AB - Among turtles, cases of "gigantism" occur mostly in pleurodiran Pelomedusoides and cryptodirans, but are infrequent among pleurodiran chelids, which are mostly small-medium sized turtles. Yaminuechelys spp. are extinct South American long-necked chelids (from the Late Cretaceous-early Paleocene of Patagonia, Argentina) with caparaces almost three times larger than their extant sister taxon, Hydromedusa tectifera. Since evolutionary changes in size can be analyzed based on growth dynamics, we studied growth strategies from an osteohistological point of view. We sampled both extinct (Yaminuechelys maior) and extant (H. tectifera) species, in order to test hypotheses related to the mechanisms involved in the macroevolution of size within this clade. For this purpose, thin sections of long bone (humerus and femur) shafts of specimens of different ontogenetic stages for these species were prepared. The osteohistological study reveals a similar growth dynamic in both taxa, with a poorly vascularized cortex dominated by parallel-fibered bone and interrupted by lines of arrested growth (LAGs). The huge body size of Y. maior appears to be a consequence of the prolongation of the growth phase, suggesting that it had a longer lifespan than H. tectifera, allowing to reach greater sizes. In this way, and assuming that there is no displacement at the beginning of development (e.g., a delay in the earliest stages of growth) in H. tectifera, the acquisition of a large size in Yaminuechelys would be explained by hypomorphosis of the former or hypermorphosis of the latter, depending on the reconstruction of the ancestral condition of this clade. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Garcia, Geraldine AU - Pinton, Aurelie AU - Valentin, Xavier AU - Kostopoulos, Dimitris S. AU - Merceron, Gildas AU - de Bonis, Louis AU - Koufos, George D. TI - The earliest known crown-Testudo tortoise from the late Miocene (Vallesian, 9 Ma) of Greece JF - PLOS ONE J2 - PLOS ONE VL - 15 PY - 2020 IS - 4 PG - 15 SN - 1932-6203 DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0224783 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562357 ID - 31562357 AB - We here report on fossil remains of the earliest known crown-Testudo, an extant clade of Mediterranean testudinid tortoises from the late Miocene (Vallesian, MN 10) from the hominoid locality Ravin de la Pluie (RPl) in Greece. The material studied is a small, nearly complete carapace with a clearly distinct hypo-xiphiplastral hinge. This supports the sensu stricto generic assignment. This new terrestrial testudinid specimen is characterized by a possible tectiform, narrow, elongated shell with a pentagonal pygal and a long, posteriorly elevated, lenticular and rounded dorsal epiplastral lip. These unique features differ from those of other known Mediterranean hinged forms and allow the erection of the new species Testudo hellenica sp. nov. This taxon is phylogenetically close to two Greek species, the extant T. marginata and the fossil T. marmorum (Turolian, around 7.3 Ma). This record provides evidence for the first appearance of the genus Testudo sensu stricto at a minimum age of 9 Ma. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Perez-Garcia, Adan AU - Vlachos, Evangelos AU - Murelaga, Xabier TI - A large testudinid with African affinities in the post-Messinian (lower Pliocene) record of south-eastern Spain JF - PALAEONTOLOGY J2 - PALAEONTOLOGY VL - 63 PY - 2020 IS - 3 SP - 497 EP - 512 PG - 16 SN - 0031-0239 DO - 10.1111/pala.12468 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562361 ID - 31562361 AB - Herein, we describe Alatochelon myrteum gen. et sp. nov., a large tortoise from the post-Messinian (lower Pliocene) of the area of Puerto de la Cadena (Region of Murcia), Spain. The new taxon cannot be attributed to Titanochelon, which represented the only lineage of large tortoises previously recognized in the Neogene record of Europe. Alatochelon myrteum shows African affinities, especially with the extant African spurred tortoise Centrochelys sulcata. Although close phylogenetic relationships have previously been recognized among some tortoises of both continents, the dispersal of this lineage had always been proposed as having occurred in only one direction: from Europe to Africa. The dispersal of the lineage including the new Spanish form and Centrochelys sulcata from Africa to Europe is proposed here. This proposal is compatible with those previously recognized for some lineages of mammals also found in Puerto de la Cadena, identified as African lineages that probably reached Europe during the Messinian Salinity Crisis event. An African origin is also proposed for the lineage of Titanochelon. Therefore, the two lineages of large derived testudinids (i.e. Geochelona) recognized in the European record experienced diachronic dispersal events from Africa to Europe: that to which Alatochelon belongs probably during the Messinian and the other much earlier, at the beginning of the Miocene or before. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Vlachos, Evangelos TI - The turtles from 'Gilmore's slab': evolution and diversity of the extinct turtle Echmatemys (Testudines: Testudinoidea: Geoemydidae) from the central United States JF - JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY J2 - J SYST PALAEONTOL VL - 18 PY - 2020 IS - 14 SP - 1193 EP - 1216 PG - 24 SN - 1477-2019 DO - 10.1080/14772019.2020.1754938 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562362 ID - 31562362 AB - This contribution presents a complete revision of the extinct geoemydid Echmatemys from North America, based on new information and a re-evaluation of previously published specimens. Echmatemys is the most diverse and widely distributed geoemydid turtle in the fossil record of North America, known from numerous shells. The different morphotypes are assigned to the currently accepted valid species and their evolutionary history is evaluated in a cladistic context. Their function is further evaluated with an anatomical network analysis. This re-appraisal is based mainly on 'Gilmore's slab', a slab containing several turtle shells collected from the Bridgerian of Levett Creek (Wyoming, USA). The fossils from this slab are described in detail for the first time and are completely re-identified. As this slab represents a snapshot of the turtle community in past Wyoming during the Bridgerian it offers a unique opportunity to discuss the evolution and diversity of Echmatemys. The morphological variability in the shells of Echmatemys challenges its recovery as a monophyletic group under parsimony analysis. Also, most Echmatemys spp. are recovered in a derived position within Geoemydidae, a result that poses new problems in the interpretation of the origin and the palaeobiogeographical evolution of this clade in North America. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Cherepanov, Gennady TI - Morphogenetic and constructional differences of the carapace of aquatic and terrestrial turtles and their evolutionary significance JF - JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY J2 - J MORPHOL VL - 280 PY - 2019 IS - 10 SP - 1571 EP - 1581 PG - 11 SN - 0362-2525 DO - 10.1002/jmor.21050 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562358 ID - 31562358 AB - The postembryonic development of the turtle carapace was studied in the aquatic Emys orbicularis and the terrestrial Testudo graeca. Differences in the structure of the bony shell in aquatic and terrestrial turtles were shown to be associated with varying degrees of development of epidermal derivatives, namely, the thickness of the scutes and the depth of horny furrows. Sinking of the horny furrows into the dermis causes local changes in the structure of the collagen matrix, which might precondition the acceleration of the ossification. Aquatic turtles possess a relatively thin horny cover, whose derivatives are either weakly developed or altogether absent and thus make no noticeable impact on the growth dynamics of bony plates. Carapace plates of these turtles outgrow more or less evenly around the periphery, which results in uniform costals, relatively narrow and partly reduced neurals, and broad peripherals extending beyond the marginal scutes. In terrestrial turtles (Testudinidae), horny structures are much more developed and exert a considerable impact on the growth of bony elements. As a result, bony plates outgrow unevenly in the dermis, expanding fast in the zones under the horny furrows and slowly outside these zones. This determines the basic features of the testudinid carapace: alternately cuneate shape of costals, an alternation of broad octagonal and narrow tetragonal neurals, and the limitation of the growth of peripherals by pleuro-marginal furrows. The evolutionary significance of morphogenetic and constructional differences in the turtle carapace, and the association of these differences with the turtle habitats are discussed. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Kehlmaier, Christian AU - Graciá, Eva AU - Campbell, Patrick D. AU - Hofmeyr, Margaretha D. AU - Schweiger, Silke AU - Martínez-Silvestre, Albert AU - Joyce, Walter AU - Fritz, Uwe TI - Ancient mitogenomics clarifies radiation of extinct Mascarene giant tortoises (Cylindraspis spp.) JF - SCIENTIFIC REPORTS J2 - SCI REP VL - 9 PY - 2019 IS - 1 SN - 2045-2322 DO - 10.1038/s41598-019-54019-y UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31133730 ID - 31133730 LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Naksri, Wilailuck AU - Tong, Haiyan AU - Lauprasert, Komsorn AU - Jintasakul, Pratueng AU - Suteethorn, Varavudh AU - Vidthayanon, Chavalit AU - Claude, Julien TI - Plio-Pleistocene giant tortoises from Tha Chang sandpits, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand JF - ANNALES DE PALEONTOLOGIE J2 - ANN PALEONTOL VL - 105 PY - 2019 IS - 4 SP - 257 EP - 267 PG - 11 SN - 0753-3969 DO - 10.1016/j.annpal.2019.06.001 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562360 ID - 31562360 AB - Giant tortoises have been found from the Plio-Pleistocene sediments of Tha Chang sandpits, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. These tortoises are represented by several individuals and are described based on carapace, plastron, limb bones, and isolated plates. Three different morphotypes of epiplastral projection are recognized, pertaining to different sexes or different ontogenetic stages. Based on their large size, thick shell, single supracaudal, well-developed epiplastral projection, gulars covering anterior part of the entoplastron or in contact with the latter, and humeropectoral sulcus posterior to entoplastron, these Thai giant tortoises are assigned to the genus Megalochelys. Thai specimens show strong similarities with large tortoises from India as well as those from Flores and Timor, and are therefore very close morphologically to Melgalochelys atlas. Our study provides new evidence about polymorphism and additional information about distribution of Plio-Pleistocene fossil giant tortoises in South and Southeast Asia. (C) 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Vlachos, Evangelos AU - Sterli, Juliana AU - Vasileiadou, Katerina AU - Syrides, George TI - A NEW SPECIES OF MAUREMYS (TESTUDINES, GEOEMYDIDAE) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE -PLIOCENE OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA (NORTHERN GREECE) WITH EXCEPTIONALLY WIDE VERTEBRAL SCUTES JF - PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY J2 - PAP PALAEONTOL VL - 5 PY - 2019 IS - 1 SP - 177 EP - 195 PG - 19 SN - 2056-2799 DO - 10.1002/spp2.1235 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562356 ID - 31562356 AB - Our knowledge of Neogene chelonian diversity in northern Greece is increased with the present description of a new species of Mauremys (Testudines, Geoemydidae) from the late Miocene to Pliocene of three localities in central Macedonia (Gefira-2, Nea Silata, Allatini). This new species, Mauremys aristotelica sp. nov., is characterized by the presence of exceptionally wide vertebral scutes, a trait that is quite rare within Mauremys but has evolved independently in other pan-testudinoid non-testudinids. Total evidence phylogenetic analysis confirms the placement of the new species within Mauremys and reveals that its closest relative is Mauremys campanii from the late Miocene of Italy. It is also likely, under parsimony, that all geoemydids with similarly wide vertebral scutes from the Neogene of Eurasia form a clade nested within Mauremys. Our results also shed light on the evolution of geoemydids in the eastern Mediterranean during late Miocene to Pliocene times. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Vlachos, Evangelos AU - Perez-Garcia, Adan AU - Roussiakis, Socrates AU - Georgalis, Georgios L. AU - Kear, Benjamin P. TI - Late Miocene tortoises from Samos, Greece: implications for European Neogene testudinid systematics and distributions JF - JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY J2 - J VERTEBR PALEONTOL VL - 39 PY - 2019 IS - 6 PG - 18 SN - 0272-4634 DO - 10.1080/02724634.2019.1722950 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562364 ID - 31562364 AB - The world-famous upper Miocene fossil localities on the Aegean island of Samos in Greece have produced a rich fossil record that sheds light on the evolution of eastern Mediterranean terrestrial faunas over a one-million-year interval of the late Neogene. Fossils have been discovered on Samos since antiquity, although a succession of paleontological and commercial collecting expeditions over the last 130 years has resulted in specimens now being distributed throughout museums all over the world. Here, we survey the fossil tortoise remains from Samos, which are significant because they include early antecedents of the modernTestudolineage, together with spectacular examples of the European Neogene gigantic testudinid dagger Titanochelon, which represents one of the largest-bodied terrestrial turtle taxa documented to date. All of the Samos fossils derive from the Mytilinii Formation, which spans the late MN11-early MN13 Neogene land mammal zones. The small-bodied tortoise remains include two incomplete shells that are morphologically consistent with basal testudonans and phylogenetically distinct from the coeval speciesTestudo marmorumfound on mainland Greece. The Samos gigantic tortoise dagger'Testudo'schafferiwas based on a spectacularly large skull and femur. However, we describe new plastron fragments, limb elements, and osteoderms that are compatible with dagger Titanochelonspecimens from southern Greece and Anatolia. This could imply faunal links with the distinctive 'Pikermian' local assemblages from Asia Minor and concurs with the proposed late Miocene-Pliocene biogeographic segregation of large mammals from the eastern Aegean margin and Turkey relative to those occurring in northwestern Greece and the Balkan Peninsula. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Vlachos, Evangelos AU - Georgalis, Georgios L. AU - Roussiakis, Socrates AU - Boehme, Madelaine AU - Theodorou, George TI - The Pikermian tortoises (Testudines, Testudinidae) from the late Miocene of the South Balkans JF - JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY J2 - J VERTEBR PALEONTOL VL - 39 PY - 2019 IS - 5 PG - 23 SN - 0272-4634 DO - 10.1080/02724634.2019.1711520 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562359 ID - 31562359 AB - This article deals with the fossil tortoises of one of the most iconic fossil localities of the Neogene of the Old World, the upper Miocene locality of Pikermi, near Athens, Greece. We describe the type, previously published, and new material of the fossil tortoises from Pikermi, along with new material from the coeval Azmaka 6 locality in Bulgaria. This combined information results in the complete revision of the 'marble tortoise' Testudo marmorum, which is the first turtle species ever named from Greece. Besides the challenges and difficulties of working with material from the old collections of Pikermi, we present a complete revision of this species and identify its presence outside its type locality in the South Balkan Peninsula. The presence of numerous shells of the 'marble tortoise' allows us to discuss the observed variation and attempt to interpret it as the result of intraspecific variation, ontogenetic changes, or sexual dimorphism. For the first time, we observe the absence of the characteristic hypo-xiphiplastral hinge in female individuals of Testudo marmorum, which in turn challenges the traditional phylogenetic position of this species. We further describe previously published and new material of the giant tortoise Titanochelon from Pikermi. Based on the updated information, we can suggest that the Pikermian giant tortoise probably represents a distinct taxon. Our results signal Pikermi as one of the most important localities to understand the evolution of tortoises in the eastern Mediterranean during the last parts of the Neogene. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - de la Fuente, Marcelo S. AU - Zacarias, Gerardo G. AU - Vlachos, Evangelos TI - A Review of the Fossil Record of South American Turtles of the Clade Testudinoidea JF - BULLETIN OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY J2 - B PEABODY MUS NAT HIST VL - 59 PY - 2018 IS - 2 SP - 269 EP - 286 PG - 18 SN - 0079-032X DO - 10.3374/014.059.0201 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31562363 ID - 31562363 AB - The fossil record of turtles of the clade Testudinoidea is generally poor in South America. Fossil tortoises (Testudinidae) are known from the Late Oligocene to Holocene, but they likely arrived from Africa during the Late Eocene or Early Oligocene. The fossil record of Trachemys (Emydidae) and Rhinoclemys (Geoemydidae) is restricted to the Pleistocene, but both lineages likely arrived in multiple waves over the course of the Neogene. Our taxonomic review of 12 named fossil testudinoids finds five nomina valida, two nomina invalida, four nomina dubia, and one nomen nudum. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Sterli, Juliana AU - De, La Fuente Marcelo S. AU - Rougier, Guillermo W. TI - NEW REMAINS OF CONDORCHELYS ANTIQUA (TESTUDINATA) FROM THE EARLY-MIDDLE JURASSIC OF PATAGONIA: ANATOMY, PHYLOGENY, AND PAEDOMORPHOSIS IN THE EARLY EVOLUTION OF TURTLES JF - JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY J2 - J VERTEBR PALEONTOL VL - 38 PY - 2018 IS - 4 SN - 0272-4634 DO - 10.1080/02724634.2018.1480112 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/31127842 ID - 31127842 AB - New cranial and postcranial remains of the Early-Middle Jurassic turtle, Condorchelys antiqua, are described here in detail, providing new insights into the early evolution of turtles. Unconstrained and constrained cladistic analyses in addition to newly developed total-evidence Bayesian analysis were performed to explore large-scale turtle relationships and evolutionary trends. All the analyses show a similar resolution at the base of the tree, recovering several species of small-sized, fresh water turtles of the Early-Middle Jurassic at the base of the tree following the most basal, large-sized, terrestrial turtles from the Late Triassic. The calibration of the cladistic analyses and the tip-dating analysis provided similar results in the main nodes Testudines, Pan-Cryptodira, Cryptodira, Pan-Pleurodira, and Pleurodira, corroborating that the Jurassic is a key period for turtle evolution. The significant reduction in size in Early-Middle Jurassic stem turtles and the combination of certain characters (e.g., presence of fontanelles, loss of bones, loss of scutes) shown by those taxa suggests heterochronic changes, paedomorphosis in particular, at the base of the turtle tree. These morphological novelties could have trigged, or facilitated, the occupation of the aquatic niche as seen in Jurassic stem turtles. LA - English DB - MTMT ER - TY - JOUR AU - Vlachos, Evangelos TI - A Review of the Fossil Record of North American Turtles of the Clade Pan-Testudinoidea JF - BULLETIN OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY J2 - B PEABODY MUS NAT HIST VL - 59 PY - 2018 IS - 1 SP - 3 EP - 94 PG - 92 SN - 0079-032X DO - 10.3374/014.059.0101 UR - https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/27592432 ID - 27592432 LA - English DB - MTMT ER -