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Zealosphargis terrypratchetti

Osteichthyes - Testudines - Dermochelyidae

Taxonomy
Psephophorus terrypratchetti was named by Köhler (1995). Its type specimen is OU 22177, a partial skeleton (partial carapace, ribs, vertebrae), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is J40/f181, which is in a Bortonian marine sandstone in the Waihao Greensand Formation of New Zealand.

It was recombined as Zealosphargis terrypratchetti by Gentry et al. (2025).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1995Psephophorus terrypratchetti Köhler figs. 3-6
2024Psephophorus terrypratchetti Robinson et al. p. 574
2025Zealosphargis terrypratchetti Gentry et al.

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
RankNameAuthor
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
—Sauropsida
classReptilia
—Testudinata(Oppel 1811)
orderTestudinesBatsch 1788
suborderCryptodira
superfamilyChelonioidea
familyDermochelyidaeLydekker 1889
subfamilyDermochelyinae
—Uelocini
genusZealosphargis
speciesterrypratchetti()

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.

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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
R. Köhler 1995P. terrypratchetti had a body armour made up by numerous
smooth platelets which did not show any sculpturing, e.g. keels. The
concave proximal dorsal face of the second and third rib carried a
median keel. Thoracic vertebrae showed thin neural arches which
were perforated by nerve foramina.
A. D. Gentry et al. 2025Zealosphargis terrypratchetii differs from all other dermochelyids by lacking ridges or floriform ossicles.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinef
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: aquaticf
Diet: durophagef
Diet 2: piscivoref
Reproduction: oviparousf
Created: 2005-08-26 14:29:38
Modified: 2005-08-26 16:29:38
Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Kiessling 2004, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Uetz 2005

Age range: Bortonian or 42.60000 to 39.10000 Ma

Collections (3 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Bortonian42.6 - 39.1New Zealand Psephophorus terrypratchetti (type locality: 167710 167712)
Bortonian - Kaiatan42.6 - 36.7New Zealand Psephophorus terrypratchetti (167711)