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Waluchelys cavitesta

Reptilia - Australochelyidae

Discussion

LSID. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8568B84B-709C-453D-B9C9-559AC6698BD1

Derivation of name. The specific name cavitesta comes from the combination of the Latin words cavum meaning hollow hole and testa meaning shell in reference to the cavities present in the peripheral bones.

Taxonomy
Waluchelys cavitesta was named by Sterli et al. (2020). Its type specimen is PVSJ 903, a partial skeleton (right, anterior and posterior border of the carapace, anterior and right bridge of the plastron, both pectoral girdles, thoracic vertebrae 1, 2 and 7–10), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Quebrada del Puma, which is in a Norian fluvial sandstone in the Quebrada del Barro Formation of Argentina.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2020Waluchelys cavitesta Sterli et al. p. 4 fig. 2–15
2020Waluchelys cavitesta de la Fuente et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
RankNameAuthor
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
Testudinata(Oppel 1811)
familyAustralochelyidae
genusWaluchelys
speciescavitesta

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.

Waluchelys cavitesta Sterli et al. 2020
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. Sterli et al. 2020Waluchelys cavitesta shares with other basal testudinatans (non-mesochelydian testudinatans) the presence of a deep pygal notch, the absence of a triradiate pectoral girdle, the presence of very narrow pleural scutes, the presence of supramarginal scutes, the presence of a long epiplastral process, and the presence of a long posterior entoplastral process. Waluchelys cavitesta shows the following autapomorphic characters that make it different from any other known turtle: medial trough in the basioccipital tubercle, presence of a reduced number of supramarginal scutes not in contact with each other, and a large coracoid foramen (more than 76% the length of the glenoid fossa). It shares with P. talampayensis the presence of internal cavities in peripheral bones, and neural arches of thoracic vertebrae thin and tall. Besides the autapomorphic characters, W. cavitesta differs from P. talampayensis in having only one basioccipital tubercle and being smaller (linear carapace length of W. cavitesta = 38 cm, contra 47 cm). Waluchelys cavitesta shares with P. quenstedtii the presence of a medial basioccipital tubercle, the presence of a supracaudal scute in the carapace, and the presence of spines in the posterior part of the carapace. Waluchelys cavitesta differs from P. quenstedtii in not having anterior plastral tuberosities. Waluchelys cavitesta shares with proterochersids the presence of an incomplete row of supramarginal scutes but differs from them in that those scutes are not in contact with each other and that the epiplastral process fuses with the carapace. Waluchelys cavitesta shares with other australochelyids the presence of a basipterygoid process fused to the pterygoid, and the presence of a robust processus interfenestralis of the opisthotic not reaching the floor of the basicranium, the latter also shared with P. quenstedtii. Waluchelys cavistesta shares with P. quenstedtii and P. talampayensis the presence of long epiplastral processes fused to the carapace. Waluchelys cavitesta shares with other australochelyids and mesochelydians the presence of a well-defined canalis cavernosus. Waluchelys cavistesta shares with other non-testudines testudinatans the presence of amphicoelous cervical and caudal vertebrae, the presence of chevron bones in caudal vertebrae, and an ossified epipubic process. Comparisons are presented in Table 1.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialuc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Created: 2017-04-17 15:15:35
Modified: 2017-04-17 15:15:35
Source: c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Kiessling 2004, Carroll 1988

Age range: Norian or 227.30000 to 205.70000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Norian227.3 - 205.7Argentina (San Juan) Testudinata indet. (type locality: 182613)