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Journal article

New material of “Eurysternidae” (Thalassochelydia, Pan-Cryptodira) from the Kimmeridgian of the Swiss Jura Mountains

  • Püntener, Christian Section d’archéologie et paléontologie, Office de la culture, République et Canton du Jura, Porrentruy, Switzerland
  • Anquetin, Jérémy JURASSICA Museum, Porrentruy, Switzerland / Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Billon-Bruyat, Jean-Paul Section d’archéologie et paléontologie, Office de la culture, République et Canton du Jura, Porrentruy, Switzerland
    2020
Published in:
  • Palaeovertebrata. - 2020, vol. 43, no. 1, p. e2
Eurysternidae
Thalassochelydia
Testudines
Late Jurassic
Switzerland
Morphology
English The region of Porrentruy (Swiss Jura Mountains) is known for its rich and diverse assemblage of Late Jurassic coastal marine turtles (Thalassochelydia). Dominated by the “Plesiochelyidae”, this assemblage also includes representatives of the two other thalassochelydian groups, the “Thalassemydidae” and “Eurysternidae.” In this study, we present new shell-based material from Porrentruy referable to eurysternids. One specimen represents a juvenile individual or a relatively small taxon, and is notably characterized by a well fenestrated plastron exhibiting a wider than long central plastral fontanelle. Two other specimens are much larger and possibly represent the largest eurysternids known to date. The fourth specimen is characterized by a unique plastral morphology otherwise only known in very small juveniles. This is the first time this unique plastral morphology is known to persist in an adult or subadult. The new material described herein represents at least three distinct taxa, all of them probably new. However, we refrain from naming new species based on this incomplete material in order to avoid adding confusion to an already complex taxonomical situation. This study provides new insights into the great diversity of eurysternids during the Late Jurassic.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Géosciences
Language
  • English
Classification
Palaeontology
License
License undefined
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/308698
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