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Achelonia formosa
(From Anquetin et al. 2017:330): Achelonia formosa is based on two specimens from the late Kimmeridgian locality of Cerin, France (Meyer 1860). The first specimen (MHNL 20015606) consists of a fragment of the anterior rim of a carapace (partial nuchal, left peripherals I–III, and partial left costal I), parts of the pectoral girdle, remains of the left forelimb, and a crushed skull. The second specimen (MHNL 20015608) consists of two manus exposed in palmar view on a slab of limestone. In a relatively ambiguous statement, Meyer (1860) noted that Victor Thiollière, who communicated this material to him, declared that the two specimens were found at the same time and belonged to the same turtle. It is rather unclear, however, whether Thiollière and Meyer were suggesting that the two remains belong to the same individual or simply pertain to the same species. Rütimeyer (1873a) referred the two specimens to the same taxon, whereas Lortet (1892) clearly stated that the aspect of the sediment suggests they belong to the same animal. However, it is difficult to confirm whether or not the two specimens belong to the same individual since there is no connection between the slabs. For clarity, we designate the first specimen (MHNL 20015606) as the lectotype of Achelonia formosa.
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1860 | Achelonia formosa von Meyer |
| 1873 | Achelonia formosa Rütimeyer p. 134 |
| 2017 | Achelonia formosa Anquetin et al. pp. 329-330 |
| 2020 | Achelonia formosa Joyce and Mäuser |
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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.
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| J. Anquetin et al. 2017 | Achelonia formosa can be differentiated from all other “eurysternids” by having well-developed costo-peripheral fontanelles, reduced ossification of the costal bones partly revealing the underlying thoracic ribs, insertion of thoracic rib II between peripherals III and IV, anterior contact of vertebral I with cervical scutes only, a shallow nuchal notch, and stout manual digits. | |
| W. G. Joyce and M. Mäuser 2020 | Achelonia formosa can differentiated from all other known representatives of Thalassochelydia by the following combination of characteristics: large size (i.e., a carapace length of more than 60cm), poorly imprinted carapacial scutes, eight pairs of elongated and flattened costal rib ends associated with nine pairs of carapacial fontanelles, and a ligamentous bridge with lateral plastral fontanelles. |
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| Source: c = class, subp = subphylum, uc = unranked clade | |||||
| References: Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009 | |||||
Age range: Late/Upper Kimmeridgian or 155.70000 to 150.80000 Ma
Collections (2 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late/Upper Kimmeridgian | France | Achelonia formosa (type locality: 24426) | |
| Late/Upper Kimmeridgian | Germany (Bavaria) | Achelonia formosa (132944) |