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Ctenochelyidae

Reptilia - Testudines - Ctenochelyidae

Discussion

The existence of this taxon has been hypothesized for more than 20 years (Hirayama, 1997) and is supported by phylogenetic evidence in the present study and in other cladistic studies of marine turtles incorporating multiple species of Late Cretaceous pan-cheloniid (Gentry et al., 2018). I propose the formal naming of this group as Ctenochelyidae after the stratigraphically oldest member of the group, C. stenoporus.

Taxonomy
Ctenochelyidae was named by Gentry (2018). Its type is Ctenochelys.

It was assigned to Pancheloniidae by Gentry (2018).

Subtaxa
Asmodochelys, Ctenochelys (type genus)

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2018Ctenochelyidae Gentry

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
RankNameAuthor
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
Testudinata(Oppel 1811)
orderTestudinesBatsch 1788
suborderCryptodira
PanchelonioideaJoyce et al. 2004
PancheloniidaeJoyce et al. 2004
familyCtenochelyidae
familyCtenochelyidae

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.

Fm. †Ctenochelyidae Gentry 2018
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G. †Asmodochelys Gentry et al. 2019
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Asmodochelys parhami Gentry et al. 2019
G. †Ctenochelys Zangerl 1953
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Ctenochelys acris Zangerl 1953
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Invalid names: Toxochelys bauri Wieland 1905 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
A. D. Gentry 2018Members of Ctenochelyidae can be diagnosed relative to other turtles by the following combination of derived characters: the presence of an incipient secondary palate involving minor contributions from the palatine and vomer (ch. 40/1), a domed contribution of the anteroventral portion of the vomer to the palate roof (ch. 49/1), the presence of a rod-like rostrum basisphenoidale (ch. 86/1), posteromedial nuchal fontanelles (ch. 123/1), epineural ossifications (ch. 127/1), a high degree of shell and plastral fenestration (ch. 133/3), and a pronounced metischial process (ch. 234/1).
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: freshwatersubo
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: aquaticsubo
Diet: omnivoresubo
Reproduction: oviparoussubo
Created: 2005-08-26 14:49:00
Modified: 2005-08-26 16:49:00
Source: subo = suborder, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Uetz 2005, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Late/Upper Santonian to the top of the Selandian or 85.80000 to 59.20000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 83.6 Ma

Collections (13 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Turonian - Santonian93.9 - 83.6USA (Kansas) Toxochelys bauri (38721)
Late/Upper Coniacian - Early/Lower Santonian89.3 - 83.5USA (Kansas) Ctenochelys stenoporus (123574)
Late/Upper Santonian - Early/Lower Campanian85.8 - 70.6Germany (Schleswig-Holstein) Ctenochelys stenoporus (138296)
Late/Upper Santonian - Early/Lower Campanian85.8 - 70.6USA (Alabama) Ctenochelys tenuitesta (81972) Ctenochelys tenuitesta, Ctenochelys acris (81927)
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (Alabama) Ctenochelys acris (181623 181624)
Early/Lower Campanian - Middle Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (Alabama) Ctenochelys acris (80890)
Late/Upper Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (Mississippi) Asmodochelys parhami (207339)
Late/Upper Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (Alabama) Asmodochelys parhami (207057 207338)
Late/Upper Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Netherlands (Limburg) Ctenochelys sp. (142084)
Selandian61.6 - 59.2Denmark (Fyn) Ctenochelys stenoporus (196766)