Pleurosternon bullockii Owen 1842

Reptilia - Testudinata - Pleurosternidae

The type specimen was originally erroneously described by Owen (1842, 1850) as from the London Clay of Sheppey. It was correctly localised by Lydekker and Boulenger (1887) but there are no precise locality details. [From Milner 2004, p. 1448]

Alternative combinations: Digerrhum bullockii, Platemys bullockii, Pleurosternum bullocki, Pleurosternum bullockii

Synonyms: Hylaeochelys emarginata Owen 1853, Hylaeochelys emarginatum Owen 1853, Megasternon koenigii Gray 1870, Mesochelys durlstonensis Evans and Kemp 1975, Plesiochelys emarginata Owen 1853, Pleurosternon concinnum Owen 1853, Pleurosternon emarginatum Owen 1853, Pleurosternon ovatum Owen 1853, Pleurosternon oweni Seeley 1869, Pleurosternon sedgwicki Seeley 1869, Pleurosternon vansittarti Seeley 1869, Pleurosternum concinnum Owen 1853, Pleurosternum emarginatum Owen 1853, Pleurosternum ovatum Owen 1853, Pleurosternum portlandicum Lydekker 1889, Pleurosternum vansittardi Seeley 1869

Full reference: R. Owen. 1842. Report on British fossil reptiles, part II. Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 11:60-204

Belongs to Pleurosternon according to R. Allain et al. 2022

See also Cope 1870, Delair 1958, Evans and Kemp 1975, Gray 1870, Guerrero and Pérez-García 2020, Guerrero and Pérez-García 2021, Joyce and Anquetin 2019, Lydekker 1889, Lydekker 1889, Lydekker and Boulenger 1887, Milner 2004, Owen 1842, Owen 1853, Perea et al. 2014, Pérez-García 2012, Pérez-García et al. 2008, Pérez-García and Ortega 2011 and Seeley 1869

Sister taxon: Pleurosternon moncayensis

Type specimens:

  • Pleurosternon bullockii: BMNH R911, a partial shell (a large complete plastron). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (BMNH) [Bullock's Museum], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Megasternon koenigii: NHMUK R911, a partial shell (plastron). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (BMNH) [Bullock's Museum], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Mesochelys durlstonensis: UMZC T1041, a partial skeleton (a skull and partial postcranial skeleton). Its type locality is Durlston Bay foreshore block, which is in a Berriasian terrestrial limestone in the Durlston Formation of the United Kingdom.
  • Pleurosternon concinnum: DORCM G.17, a shell (juvenile carapace). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (DORCM/BMNH) [Wm. Cunnington Collection], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Pleurosternon emarginatum: DORCM G.16 (lectotype), a partial shell (carapace visible in internal aspect with some areas visible as a mould of the external surface). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (DORCM/BMNH) [C. Willcox Collection], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Pleurosternon ovatum: BMNH 28618, a shell (carapace). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (DORCM/BMNH) [C. Willcox Collection], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Pleurosternon oweni: CAMSM J5328 (Seeley No. 3), a shell (carapace). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (BMNH) [Bullock's Museum], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Pleurosternon sedgwicki: CAMSM J.5326 (Seeley No. 1), a shell (carapace). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (BMNH) [Bullock's Museum], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Pleurosternon vansittarti: CAMSM J.5327 (Seeley No. 2), a shell (carapace). Its type locality is Swanage/Purbeck (BMNH) [Bullock's Museum], which is in a Berriasian fluvial-lacustrine limestone in the United Kingdom.
  • Pleurosternum portlandicum: BMNH 44807, a partial shell (slab showing the plastron and left marginals in ventral view). Its type locality is Isle of Portland, which is in a Tithonian marine limestone in the United Kingdom.

Distribution:

• Cretaceous of France (1 collection), the United Kingdom (5)

• Jurassic of France (1), the United Kingdom (2)

Total: 9 collections including 15 occurrences

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