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Waluchelys cavitesta
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
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Waluchelys cavitesta Sterli et al. p. 4 fig. 2–15 |
| 2020 | Waluchelys cavitesta de la Fuente et al. |
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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
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| J. Sterli et al. 2020 | Waluchelys 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
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| Source: c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade | |||||
| References: Hendy et al. 2009, Kiessling 2004, Carroll 1988 | |||||