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Gigantochersina ammon

Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae

Taxonomy
Testudo ammon was named by Andrews (1903). Its type specimen is CGM 8130, a partial skeleton (nearly complete carapace and plastron), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is NNW of Birket Qarun, which is in an Eocene/Oligocene fluvial horizon in the Jebel Qatrani Formation of Egypt.

It was recombined as Geochelone (Geochelone) ammon by Auffenberg (1974); it was recombined as Geochelone ammon by Crumly (1982); it was recombined as Gigantochersina ammon by Holroyd and Parham (2003), Vlachos and Rabi (2018), Georgalis et al. (2021).

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1903Testudo ammon Andrews
1906Testudo ammon Andrews p. 278
1906Testudo beadnelli Andrews p. 285
1974Geochelone (Geochelone) ammon Auffenberg p. 154
1974Geochelone (Geochelone) beadnelli Auffenberg p. 154
1982Geochelone ammon Crumly p. 215
1982Geochelone beadnelli Crumly p. 215
2003Gigantochersina ammon Holroyd and Parham p. 688
2018Gigantochersina ammon Vlachos and Rabi p. 663
2021Gigantochersina ammon Georgalis et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
RankNameAuthor
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
Testudinata(Oppel 1811)
orderTestudinesBatsch 1788
suborderCryptodira
Pantestudinoidea
superfamilyTestudinoidea
familyTestudinidaeBatsch 1788
subfamilyTestudininae
genusGigantochersinaChkhikvadze 1989
speciesammon()

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.

Gigantochersina ammon Andrews 1903
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Invalid names: Testudo beadnelli Andrews 1906 [synonym]
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
G. L. Georgalis et al. 2021Gigantochersina ammon can be diagnosed as a member of Testudinidae and Geochelona by the full list of shell characters provided for these clades above. Gigantochersina ammon can be differentiated from other testudinids by its large size (carapace length around 90 cm), highly arched carapace, wide nuchal without posterior constriction, presence of seven neurals, neural I hexagonal, presence of a cervical scute, absence of contact of marginals IV with pleurals II, rather prominent gular protrusion of the shell (at least in male individuals), paired gulars, humero-pectoral sulcus in contact with the posterior margin of the entoplastron, narrow pectorals, rather elongated epiplastra, presence of a prominent epiplastral excavation, humeral equal or shorter than gulars, posterior plastral lobe with subparallel lateral margins across their whole layout (with the exception of a well-developed change of curvature in the region where they contact with the femoro-anal sulci [i.e., prominent notch at the femoral-anal sulcus in males and not so prominent in females]), short xiphiplastra, presence of a wide and shallow anal notch, and plastral bridge small (up to equal to half the length of the plastron).
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialf
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingf
Diet: herbivoref
Diet 2: herbivoref
Reproduction: oviparousf
Created: 2005-08-26 07:16:55
Modified: 2005-09-09 16:16:46
Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988, Ernst and Barbour 1989

Age range: base of the Rupelian to the top of the Zanclean or 33.90000 to 3.60000 Ma

Collections (3 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Eocene - Early/Lower Oligocene37.71 - 27.3Egypt (Fayum) Testudo ammon, Testudo beadnelli (65960)
Rupelian33.9 - 27.3Egypt (Fayum) Gigantochersina ammon (166979)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Kenya Testudo ammon (22234)