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Macrochelys (alligator snapping turtle)
Taxonomy
Macrochelys was named by Gray (1856) [Webb (1995; reference # 50687) demonstrated that Macrochelys is the senior synonym of Macroclemys and both were published in 1856 (not 1855 as commonly stated) [Richard Hulbert, Apr. 2014]]. It is extant. Its type is Macroclemys temminckii. It was considered monophyletic by Thomas et al. (2014).
It was corrected as Macroclemys by Frank and Ramus (1996) and Anquetin et al. (2009).
It was assigned to Terrestria by Quenstedt (1882); to Testudines by Anquetin et al. (2009); to Chelydridae by Joyce (2016); and to Chelydridae by Cope (1875), Cope (1884), Hay (1908), Hay (1930), Whetstone (1978), Carroll (1988), Frank and Ramus (1996), Knauss et al. (2011), Thomas et al. (2014), van Dijk et al. (2014) and Rhodin et al. (2017).
It was corrected as Macroclemys by Frank and Ramus (1996) and Anquetin et al. (2009).
It was assigned to Terrestria by Quenstedt (1882); to Testudines by Anquetin et al. (2009); to Chelydridae by Joyce (2016); and to Chelydridae by Cope (1875), Cope (1884), Hay (1908), Hay (1930), Whetstone (1978), Carroll (1988), Frank and Ramus (1996), Knauss et al. (2011), Thomas et al. (2014), van Dijk et al. (2014) and Rhodin et al. (2017).
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1856 | Macrochelys Gray |
| 1857 | Gypochelys Agassiz |
| 1875 | Macrochelys Cope p. 52 |
| 1882 | Macrochelys Quenstedt p. 148 |
| 1884 | Macrochelys Cope |
| 1908 | Macrochelys Hay p. 222 |
| 1930 | Macrochelys Hay p. 85 |
| 1978 | Macroclemys Whetstone p. 161 |
| 1988 | Macroclemys Carroll |
| 1996 | Macroclemys Frank and Ramus |
| 2009 | Macroclemys Anquetin et al. |
| 2011 | Macrochelys Knauss et al. |
| 2014 | Macrochelys Thomas et al. |
| 2014 | Macrochelys van Dijk et al. |
| 2016 | Macrochelys Joyce |
| 2017 | Macrochelys Rhodin 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.
G. Macrochelys Gray 1856 [alligator snapping turtle]
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†Macrochelys auffenbergi Dobie 1968 [Auffenberg's snapping turtle]
†Macrochelys schmidti Zangerl 1945
†Macrochelys stricta Matthew 1924
Macrochelys suwanniensis Thomas et al. 2014 [Suwannee alligator snapping turtle]
Macrochelys temminckii Troost 1835 [Alligator snapping turtle]
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Invalid names: Gypochelys lacertina Agassiz 1857 [synonym], Macrochelys apalachicolae Thomas et al. 2014 [synonym]
Invalid names: Gypochelys Agassiz 1857 [synonym]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| O. P. Hay 1908 | Three or four additional, or supramarginal, scutes on each side. Orbits lateral. Tail with small scales inferiorly (Boulenger). |
Measurements
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| Source: f = family, c = class, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Hendy et al. 2009, Ernst and Barbour 1989, Carroll 1988 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Barstovian to the top of the Rancholabrean or 16.30000 to 0.01200 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 15.97 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 15.97 Ma
Collections (22 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miocene | Germany (Bayern) | Macrochelys mira (48512) | |
| Early/Lower Hemingfordian | USA (Nebraska) | Macroclemys schmidti (34754) | |
| Hemingfordian | USA (Florida) | Macrochelys sp. (18561) | |
| Barstovian | USA (Nebraska) | Macroclemys sp. (18275 18284) | |
| Early/Lower Barstovian | USA (Florida) | Macrochelys sp. (18549) | |
| Early/Lower Barstovian | USA (Nebraska) | Chelydrops stricta (17904) | |
| Hemphillian | USA (Florida) | Macroclemys auffenbergi (18560) | |
| Late/Upper Hemphillian | USA (Nebraska) | Macroclemys temmincki (18126) | |
| Late/Upper Hemphillian - Zanclean | USA (Florida) | Macrochelys sp. (18535) | |
| Blancan | USA (Kansas) | Macroclemys temmincki (19940) | |
| Blancan | USA (Florida) | Macrochelys sp. (19752) Macroclemys sp. (113275) Macroclemys temmincki (19753 19764) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Florida) | Macrochelys sp. (20308 20403) Macroclemys temmincki (20400 20402) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (Florida) | Macroclemys temmincki (20440) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial) | USA (Mississippi) | Macrochelys temminckii (164396) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (South Carolina) | Macrochelys sp. (188304) |