The cranial morphology of Anosteira maomingensis (Testudines, Pan-Carettochelys) and the evolution of pan-carettochelyid turtles. Issue 4 (4th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Danilov, Igor G.; Obraztsova, Ekaterina M.; Chen, Wen; Jianhua, Jin
• Is Part Of: Journal of vertebrate paleontology. Volume 37:Issue 4(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-07-04
• Subjects: Vertebrates, Fossil -- Periodicals; Paleontology -- Periodicals; Vertébrés fossiles -- Périodiques; Paléontologie -- Périodiques; Paleozoölogie; Gewervelde dieren; 566.05
• DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1335735
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-4634

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the cranial morphology of Anosteira maomingensis, a turtle of the clade Pan-Carettochelys, based on a skull that is part of a more complete specimen from the middle-upper Eocene Youganwo Formation of Maoming, Guangdong Province, China. The cranial data of An. maomingensis were included in a phylogenetic analysis of pan-carettochelyids, one that was complemented with new codings and characters and also including cranial and non-shell postcranial characters of Kizylkumemys schultzi (Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan). It also included characters of vertebral scutes of pan-carettochelyids based on a newly proposed nomenclature of vertebral scutes for this group. The result of our phylogenetic analyses supports a recently proposed hypothesis of probable paraphyly of Anosteirinae, Kizylkumemys, Anosteira, and Allaeochelys . In addition, our study summarizes data on cranial morphology of pan-carettochelyid turtles and discusses some aspects of their evolution.