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Hesperotestudo osborniana

Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae

Taxonomy
Testudo osborniana was named by Hay (1904). Its type specimen is AMNH No. 5868, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Pawnee Creek (B. Brown AMNH collection), which is in a Hemingfordian/Barstovian terrestrial horizon in the Pawnee Creek Formation of Colorado.

It was recombined as Testudo (Hesperotestudo) osborniana by Williams (1953); it was recombined as Geochelone (Hesperotestudo) osborniana by Auffenberg (1962) and Auffenberg (1963); it was recombined as Hesperotestudo osborniana by Vlachos and Rabi (2018) and Vlachos (2018).

Synonyms
  • Testudo farri was named by Hay (1908). Its type specimen is UNSM 10486, a partial shell (partial carapace and complete plastron), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Smith River valley, which is in a Barstovian terrestrial horizon in the Deep River Formation of Montana.

    It was recombined as Testudo (Hesperotestudo) farri by Williams (1953); it was considered a nomen dubium by Auffenberg (1963); it was synonymized subjectively with Hesperotestudo osborniana by Vlachos (2018).
  • Testudo arenivaga was named by Hay (1906). Its type specimen is CM 1609, a partial shell (pygal, peripheral, and suprapygal), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Agate (2 Miles NE), which is in a Harrisonian terrestrial horizon in the Marsland Formation of Nebraska.

    It was recombined as Testudo (Hesperotestudo) arenivaga by Williams (1953); it was recombined as Geochelone (Caudochelys) arenivaga by Auffenberg (1963); it was synonymized subjectively with Hesperotestudo osborniana by Vlachos (2018).
  • Testudo impensa was named by Hay (1908). Its type specimen is AMNH 5867, a partial skeleton (complete skull, nearly complete shell, both shoulder-girdles, the left humerus, pelvis, 3 injured cervical and 4 caudal vertebrae, and dermal bones), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Between Madison and Gallatin rivers, which is in a Hemphillian terrestrial horizon in the Loop Fork Formation of Montana.

    It was recombined as Testudo (Hesperotestudo) impensa by Williams (1953); it was recombined as Geochelone (Hesperotestudo) impensa by Auffenberg (1963); it was synonymized subjectively with Hesperotestudo osborniana by Vlachos (2018).
  • Caryoderma snovianum was named by Cope (1886). Its type specimen is KU 1262, a set of limb elements (osteoderm and an ungual), and it is a 3D body fossil.

    It was recombined as Xerobates snovianum by Williston (1898); it was recombined as Testudo snoviana by Hay (1902) and Hay (1930); it was considered a nomen dubium by Osborn (1930); it was synonymized subjectively with Hesperotestudo osborniana by Vlachos (2018).
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1886Caryoderma snovianum Cope
1889Caryoderma snovianum Cope
1898Xerobates snovianum Williston
1902Testudo snoviana Hay p. 451
1904Testudo osborniana Hay
1906Testudo arenivaga Hay
1908Testudo farri Hay p. 418
1908Testudo impensa Hay p. 431
1909Testudo arenivaga Loomis
1930Testudo arenivaga Hay p. 102
1930Testudo farri Hay p. 103
1930Testudo impensa Hay p. 103
1930Testudo osborniana Hay p. 104
1930Testudo snoviana Hay p. 105
1953Testudo (Hesperotestudo) osborniana Williams p. 542
1953Testudo (Hesperotestudo) farri Williams p. 546
1953Testudo (Hesperotestudo) arenivaga Williams p. 548
1953Testudo (Hesperotestudo) impensa Williams p. 548
1962Geochelone (Hesperotestudo) osborniana Auffenberg p. 632
1963Geochelone (Hesperotestudo) osborniana Auffenberg p. 81
1963Geochelone (Hesperotestudo) impensa Auffenberg p. 88
1963Geochelone (Caudochelys) arenivaga Auffenberg p. 93
2018Hesperotestudo osborniana Vlachos
2018Hesperotestudo osborniana Vlachos and Rabi p. 663

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
RankNameAuthor
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
—Testudinata(Oppel 1811)
orderTestudinesBatsch 1788
suborderCryptodira
—Pantestudinoidea
superfamilyTestudinoidea
familyTestudinidaeBatsch 1788
subfamilyXerobatinaeAgassiz 1857
genusHesperotestudo(Williams 1950)
speciesosborniana()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

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Invalid names: Caryoderma snovianum Cope 1886 [synonym], Testudo arenivaga Hay 1906 [synonym], Testudo farri Hay 1908 [synonym], Testudo impensa Hay 1908 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
S. W. Williston 1898 (Xerobates snovianum)IN the American Naturalist for December, 1886 (p. 1044), Professor Cope described a number
of osseous scuta and toe bones as those of a ' giant armadillo from the Miocene of Kansas,'
under the name Caryoderma snovianum. The type specimen is now in the University of Kansas
Museum. The scuta and toe bones are identical in all respects with another series recently
removed from the carapace of a large tortoise from the same formation in Kansas, the Loup
Fork. The tortoise is provisionally placed in the genus Xerobates, and is specifically probably
identical with Testudo undata Cope. The error was not an extraordinary one on the part of
Cope, since the dermal ossicles are peculiar for a tortoise. Its rectification, however, is important,
since this reference was, I believe, the only one of the edentates to the Miocene of North America.
E. Vlachos 2018Hesperotestudo osborniana can be diagnosed as a member of Hesperotestudo based on the characters listed for that clade above. Hesperotestudo osborniana differs from Hesperotestudo orthopygia in having a skull low and elongate, frontals that are medially longer or equal to the prefrontals, a short crista supraoccipitalis, a narrower dentary angle, hexagonal neural VIII, extremely short pectorals medially, and a shallow anal notch and from Hesperotestudo gilbertii based on the clear contact between the jugal and quadratojugal and the short vomer that only contacts the anterior part of pterygoids.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialf
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingf
Diet: herbivoref
Diet 2: herbivoref
Reproduction: oviparousf
Created: 2005-08-26 07:16:55
Modified: 2005-09-09 16:16:46
Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Ernst and Barbour 1989

Age range: base of the Hemingfordian to the top of the Hemphillian or 20.43000 to 4.90000 Ma

Collections (5 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Harrisonian24.8 - 18.5USA (Nebraska) Testudo arenivaga (17735 195408)
Hemingfordian - Barstovian20.43 - 12.5USA (Colorado) Testudo osborniana (type locality: 191836)
Barstovian16.3 - 12.5USA (Montana) Testudo farri (191916)
Hemphillian10.3 - 4.9USA (Montana) Testudo impensa (191918)