Reptilia - Testudinata - Eurysternidae

(From Anquetin et al. 2017:330): Chelonides wittei is based on a series of specimens, in particular a partial shell (GZG 773-1), a partial skull (GZG 773-2), and several isolated shell and girdle elements. The full type series is illustrated in Maack (1869, pl. 33.118) and referenced in Karl et al. (2007). The partial shell GZG 773-1 was designated as Hauptvertreter (main representative) of the species by Maack (1869). This led Karl et al. (2007) to refer to this specimen as the holotype, but this designation is incorrect with regard to current rules of zoological nomenclature (ICZN 1999, art. 74). We here formally designate GZG 773-1 as the lectotype of Chelonides wittei. As a result, this specimen now serves as the sole bearer of the name, regardless of the nomenclatural interpretation being applied.

Alternative combination: Chelonoides wittei

Full reference: D. A. Maack. 1869. Die bis jetzt bekannten fossilen Schildkröten und die im oberen Jura bei Kelheim (Bayern) und Hannover neu aufgefundenen ältesten Arten derselben. Palaeontographica 18:193-338

Belongs to Chelonides according to J. Anquetin et al. 2017

See also Maack 1869, Portis 1878 and Vlachos 2017

Sister taxa: none

Type specimen: GZG 773-1 (lectotype), a partial shell (Maack 1869, pl. 33.1, 2; Portis 1878, pl. 17.9, 10; Karl et al. 2007, pls. 2.3, 4); GZG 773-2 to GZG 773-17 (paralectotypes), including a partial skull, shell elements, and some girdle remains (Maack 1869, pl. 33., a partial shell. Its type locality is Tönjesbergs, near Hannover, which is in a Kimmeridgian marine horizon in Germany.

Distribution: found only at Tönjesbergs, near Hannover

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