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Dermochelyidae (leatherback)

Reptilia - Testudines - Dermochelyidae

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1825Sphargididae Gray
1871Sphargidae Cope p. 235
1873Sphargididae Leidy p. 342
1875Sphargididae Cope p. 16
1889Dermochelyidae Lydekker
1890Dermochelydidae Zittel p. 517
1893Dermochelyidae Baur p. 673
1898Sphargidae Gadow p. 21
1899Psephophoridae Goette
1902Dermochelyidae Hay p. 436
1906Sphargidae Andrews
1911Dermochelydidae Jaekel p. 187
1928Sphargidae Perrier p. 3115
1930Dermochelyidae Hay p. 67
1937Chelonia californiensis Gilmore figs. 1, 6; Plate 14
1966Dermochelyidae Kuhn p. 29
1975Dermochelyidae Gaffney p. 429
1981Dermochelidae Thurmond and Jones p. 135
1988Dermochelyidae Carroll
1988Dermochelyidae Weems p. 141 figs. Table 2
1992Dermochelyidae Dodd, Jr. and Morgan p. 3
1995Dermochelyidae Hirayama p. 3
1995Dermochelyidae Köhler
1995Dermochelyidae de la Fuente et al.
1996Dermochelyidae Frank and Ramus
1996Dermochelyidae Hirayama and Chitoku p. 598
1998Dermochelyidae Hirayama
1998Dermochelyidae Hirayama and Hikida p. 70
2004Dermochelyidae Joyce et al.
2006Dermochelyidae Parmley et al. p. 345
2007Dermochelyidae Karl p. 52
2007Dermochelyidae Karl and Tichy
2012Dermochelyidae Otero et al. p. 126
2014Dermochelyidae van Dijk et al.
2017Dermochelyidae Rhodin et al.
2020Dermochelyidae Fallon and Boessenecker

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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
superfamilyChelonioidea
familyDermochelyidaeLydekker 1889
familyDermochelyidaeLydekker 1889

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. Dermochelyidae Lydekker 1889 [leatherback]
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G. †Arabemys Tong et al. 1999
+
Arabemys crassiscutata Tong et al. 1999
Subfm. †Dermochelyinae
+
G. †Cosmochelys Andrews 1920
+
Cosmochelys dolloi Andrews 1920
G. Dermochelys de Blainville 1816 [Leatherback sea turtle]
+
Dermochelys coriacea Vandelli 1761 [Leatherback sea turtle]
+
Invalid names: Chelonias lutaria Rafinesque 1814 [synonym], Dermatochelys porcata Wagler 1830 [synonym], Sphargis angusta Philippi 1899 [synonym], Sphargis mercurialis Merrem 1820 [synonym], Testudo arcuata Catesby 1771 [synonym], Testudo lyra Lacepede 1788 [synonym], Testudo tuberculata Pennant in Schoepff 1801 [synonym]
Invalid names: Chelonias Rafinesque 1814 [nomen oblitum], Chelyra Rafinesque 1815 [nomen nudum], Chelyra Rafinesque 1832 [synonym], Coriudo Fleming 1822 [objective synonym], Dermatochelys Wagler 1830 [synonym], Dermochelis Cuvier 1829 [synonym], Dermochelis atlantica LeSueur in Cuvier 1829 [nomen nudum], Scytina Wagler 1828 [synonym], Sphargis Merrem [synonym]
G. †Egyptemys Wood et al. 1996
+
Egyptemys eocaenus Andrews 1901
Egyptemys oregonensis Packard 1940
G. †Eosphargis Lydekker 1889
+
Eosphargis breineri Nielsen 1959
Eosphargis gigas Owen 1880
+
Invalid names: Anglocetus beatsoni Tarlo 1963 [synonym]
Eosphargis insularis Cope 1872
Invalid names: Anglocetus Tarlo 1963 [synonym]
G. †Maorichelys Karl and Tichy 2007
+
Maorichelys wiffeni Karl and Tichy 2007
G. †Mesodermochelys Hirayama and Chitoku 1996
+
Mesodermochelys undulatus Hirayama and Chitoku 1996
G. †Natemys Wood et al. 1996
+
Natemys peruvianus Wood et al. 1996
G. †Psephophorus von Meyer 1847
+
Psephophorus polygonus von Meyer 1847
+
Invalid names: Psephophorus calvertensis Palmer 1909 [synonym]
Psephophorus rupeliensis Van Beneden 1883
Psephophorus scaldii van Beneden 1871
G. †Turgaiscapha Averianov 2002
+
Turgaiscapha kushmurunica Averianov 2002
Invalid names: Chelonia californiensis Gilmore 1937 [invalid subgroup], Psephophoridae Goette 1899 [synonym], Sphargidae Gray 1825 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
E. Perrier 1928 (Sphargidae)Tortues marines. Carapace constituée par de très nombreuses petites plaques osseuses, disposées en mosaïque, indépendantes des vertèbres et des côtes, et recouverte par un tégument ayant la consistance du cuir ; membres en forme de palette, sans ongles. Cou non rétractile.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinef
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: aquaticf
Diet: durophagef
Diet 2: piscivoref
Reproduction: oviparousf
Comments: life habit and diet based on Uetz 2005f
Created: 2005-08-26 14:29:38
Modified: 2005-08-26 16:29:38
Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Uetz 2005, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Late/Upper Campanian to the top of the Holocene or 83.50000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 70.6 Ma

Collections (92 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6Japan (Hokkaido) Mesodermochelys undulatus (152095)
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6Japan (Nakagawa) Mesodermochelys sp. (188484)
Early/Lower Campanian83.5 - 70.6USA (California) Dermochelyidae indet. (137837)
Late/Upper Campanian83.5 - 70.6Kazakhstan (Kustanay) Turgaiscapha kushmurunica (154180)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Japan (Hyogo) Mesodermochelys undulatus (176812)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Chile (Santiago) Dermochelyidae indet. (132352)
Early/Lower Maastrichtian70.6 - 66.0Japan (Hokkaido) Mesodermochelys undulatus (129271 129272 129273 129274 129275 129276 129277 129278)
Thanetian59.2 - 56.0USA (New Jersey) Lembonax insularis (123512)
Late/Upper Paleocene58.7 - 55.8USA (Virginia) Eosphargis insularis (167192)
Late/Upper Paleocene - Early/Lower Eocene58.7 - 48.6Saudi Arabia Dermochelyidae indet. (37182)
Ypresian56.0 - 47.8USA (Maryland ) Eosphargis gigas (124192)
Ypresian56.0 - 47.8Denmark Egyptemys eocaenus (84460) Eosphargis breineri (196472)
Ypresian56.0 - 47.8Antarctica Dermochelyidae indet. (61094) Psephophorus sp. (100414)
Ypresian56.0 - 47.8United Kingdom (England) Anglocetus beatsoni (13299) Chelone gigas (167274)
Ypresian56.0 - 47.8Belgium (Brabant) Eosphargis gigas (188444)
Wasatchian55.8 - 50.3USA (Virginia) Eosphargis gigas (15595)
Early/Lower Eocene - Middle Eocene55.8 - 37.71Denmark Egyptemys eocaenus (167718)
Lutetian - Bartonian47.8 - 38.0Antarctica (Seymour Island) Psephophorus sp., Dermochelyidae indet. (53666)
Middle Eocene47.8 - 37.71Ukraine (Crimea) Dermochelyidae indet. (140018)
Middle Eocene47.8 - 37.71Ukraine Dermochelyidae indet. (113113)
Bortonian42.6 - 39.1New Zealand Psephophorus terrypratchetti (167710 167712)
Bortonian - Kaiatan42.6 - 36.7New Zealand Psephophorus terrypratchetti (167711)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0New Zealand Psephophorus terrypratchetti (167345)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0Nigeria Cosmochelys dolloi (32906)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0USA (South Carolina) Dermochelyidae indet. (134300)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0Western Sahara Dermochelyidae indet. (175734)
Bartonian - Priabonian41.3 - 33.9Ukraine Dermochelyidae indet. (49160)
Bartonian - Priabonian41.3 - 33.9Antarctica Psephophorus sp. (31173)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9USA (South Carolina) Dermochelyidae indet. (32908 206945)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9Egypt Psephophorus eocenus (79700)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9USA (Georgia) Dermochelyidae indet. (45640)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9Western Sahara Egyptemys sp. (159113)
Late/Upper Eocene37.2 - 33.9Egypt Psephophorus eocaenus (62468)
MP 2233.9 - 28.4Germany Psephophorus rupeliensis (46097)
Rupelian33.9 - 28.1USA (South Carolina) Dermochelyidae indet. (60444) Natemys sp. (189779) Psephophorus sp. (45777) Psephophorus sp., Natemys sp. (188100)
Rupelian33.9 - 28.1Belgium Psephophorus rupeliensis (89429)
Rupelian33.9 - 28.1Belgium (Antwerpen) Psephophorus rupeliensis (52047)
Late/Upper Oligocene28.4 - 23.03Peru (Ica) Natemys peruvianus (189536)
Chattian28.1 - 23.03Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) Psephophorus sp. (37598)
Chattian28.1 - 23.03Germany Psephophorus sp. (57119)
Chattian28.1 - 23.03USA (South Carolina) Egyptemys sp., Natemys sp. (211540) Natemys sp. (196878)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Argentina (Chubut) Dermochelyidae indet. (208497 208504)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97USA (Maryland) Psephophorus calvertensis (70817) Psephophorus polygonus (71810)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97USA (Oregon) Psephophorus oregonensis (60339)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Argentina (Chubut) Dermochelyidae indet. (45886)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Peru Dermochelyidae indet. (167732)
Burdigalian - Messinian20.44 - 5.333Italy (Apulia) Psephophorus polygonus (47125)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82USA (California) Chelonia californiensis (13297) Dermochelyidae sp., Chelonia californiensis (59059)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82Mexico (Baja California) Dermochelidae sp. (52183)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82USA (Virginia) Psephophorus calvertensis (79793)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82USA (Maryland) Psephophorus polygonus (70818)
Langhian - Serravallian15.97 - 11.62USA (California) Psephophorus indet. (46069)
Langhian - Serravallian15.97 - 11.62Italy (Benevento) Psephophorus sp. (190853)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62USA (Virginia) Psephophorus sp. (57700)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62Germany Dermochelyidae indet. (46114)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62USA (Maryland) Psephophorus polygonus (71533 97475)
Badenian13.65 - 12.7Slovakia Psephophorus polygonus (73137)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246USA (California) Dermochelys sp. (13300) Psephophorus sp. (168017)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246USA (Virginia) Psephophorus calvertensis (152251)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Denmark (Jutland) Psephophorus sp. (34521)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246USA (Maryland) Psephophorus polygonus (219172 221449)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Netherlands Psephophorus polygonus (190169)
Late/Upper Hemphillian10.3 - 4.9USA (Florida) Psephophorus sp. (67804)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6USA (California) Psephophorus sp. (55448)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6USA (North Carolina) Psephophorus sp. (52582)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6USA (California) Psephophorus sp. (203404)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588France (Hérault) Psephophorus pseudostracion (181660)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Oman Dermochelys coriacea (198544 198545)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Australia (Queensland) Dermochelys coriacea (21688)