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Trapalcochelys sulcata

Reptilia

Taxonomy
Trapalcochelys sulcata was named by Sterli et al. (2013). Its type specimen is MLP 86-IV-5-2, a shell (MLP 86-IV-5-2, fragment of nuchal bone, left peripherals 1, 2, 6 to 9, right peripherals 2, 3, 6 to 9, right costal 4 and several costal fragments, neurals? 3 a), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is 4.6 km East of “Salinas de Trapal-Có” (Salinas de Trapalco), which is in a Campanian/Maastrichtian fluvial-lacustrine horizon in the Allen Formation of Argentina. It is the type species of Trapalcochelys.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2013Trapalcochelys sulcata Sterli et al. p. 242 figs. 2-5

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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)
—Perichelydia
—Meiolaniformes
genusTrapalcochelys
speciessulcata

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.

†Trapalcochelys sulcata Sterli et al. 2013
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. Sterli et al. 2013Trapalcochelys sulcata belongs to the clade Testudinata because of the presence of a shell enclosing the pectoral girdle. Trapalcochelys sulcata, Patagoniaemys gasparinae, and Mongolochelys efremovi share the presence of strongly anteriorly curved sulci among marginal scales, and they share also with Meiolania platyceps the presence of opisthocoelous vertebrae at least in the anterior region of the tail. Trapalcochelys sulcata shares with Patagoniaemys gasparinae, Niolamia argentina Ameghino, 1899, and Meiolania platyceps the presence of small foramina ornamenting the dermal bones. It shares with Kallokibotion bajazidi the presence of sulci strongly curved anteriorly between vertebrals 1 and 2 and between 3 and 4. Trapalcochelys sulcata differs from Pa. gasparinae in the general size of the shell, and in the shape of neural 1. Trapalcochelys sulcata differs from Mo. efremovi in the absence of pleural 3 on peripheral 9.
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: freshwater, terrestrials
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Comments: From Sterli (2015): The paleoecology of nonmeiolaniid meiolaniforms has not been explored in detail, in part because all known specimens lack postcranial remains that could be used to infer the habits of those meiolaniforms. [...] In contrast, paleohistological studies on fragmentary shell remains of Trapalcochelys sulcata (Sterli, de la Fuente et al. 2013) suggest this turtle exhibits a mixture of terrestrial (category I) to semiaquatic (category II) features as defined by Scheyer (2007).s
Created: 2017-04-29 07:52:36
Modified: 2017-04-29 07:52:36
Source: s = species, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988, Sterli 2015

Age range: base of the Late/Upper Campanian to the top of the Early/Lower Maastrichtian or 83.50000 to 66.00000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Campanian - Early/Lower Maastrichtian83.5 - 66.0Argentina (Río Negro) Meiolaniidae indet. (type locality: 145698)