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Wutuchelys eocenica

Osteichthyes - Testudines

Discussion

the species name derives from the Eocene age of the specimen

Taxonomy
Wutuchelys eocenica was named by Tong et al. (2017). Its type specimen is PEPZ WT012, a partial shell (partial shell with articulated carapace and plastron), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Changle Coal Mine, which is in an Eocene terrestrial coal in the Wutu Formation of China. It is the type species of Wutuchelys.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2017Wutuchelys eocenica Tong et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
RankNameAuthor
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
Testudinata(Oppel 1811)
orderTestudinesBatsch 1788
suborderCryptodira
Pantestudinoidea
superfamilyTestudinoidea
genusWutuchelys
specieseocenica

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.

Wutuchelys eocenica Tong et al. 2017
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
H. Tong et al. 2017A stem testudinoid differing from all post-Eocene testudinoids by the presence of a full row of well-developed inframarginal scutes and differing from all other pre-Eocene stem testudinoids by the following combination of characters: carapace oval in outline that is slightly expanded posteriorly, with a relatively large cervical notch; shell surface covered with a pronounced ornamentation, consisting of anteroposteriorly directed thin ridges and furrows on the carapace and fine vermiculate furrows on the plastron; vertebrals wider than long; trapezoidal vertebral 1 which is expanded anteriorly and reaching the second marginal scute; short bridge by comparison with most pre-Eocene testudinoids; large anal notch; round entoplastron; humeropectoral sulcus located far anterior to the base of the anterior lobe of the plastron and posterior to the entoplastron, and four relatively wide inframarginals which are mainly located on the bridge and slightly extend onto the peripherals.