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| Morphology | Ecology and taphonomy | External Literature Search | Age range and collections |
Melanochelys (Indian black turtles)
Taxonomy
Melanochelys was named by Schweigger (1812). It is extant.
It was assigned to Emydidae by Frank and Ramus (1996); and to Geoemydinae by van Dijk et al. (2014) and Garbin et al. (2020).
It was assigned to Emydidae by Frank and Ramus (1996); and to Geoemydinae by van Dijk et al. (2014) and Garbin et al. (2020).
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1812 | Melanochelys Schweigger |
| 1996 | Melanochelys Frank and Ramus |
| 2014 | Melanochelys van Dijk et al. |
| 2020 | Melanochelys Garbin et al. p. 40 |
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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. Melanochelys Schweigger 1812 [Indian black turtles]
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†Melanochelys sivalensis Lydekker 1885
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Invalid names: Bellia theobaldi Lydekker 1885 [synonym], Clemmys hydaspica Lydekker 1885 [synonym], Clemmys punjabiensis Lydekker 1885 [synonym]
†Melanochelys tapani Garbin et al. 2020
Melanochelys tricarinata Blyth 1856 [Tricarinate hill turtle]
Melanochelys trijuga Schweigger 1812 [Indian black turtle]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| R. Garbin et al. 2020 | A member of Melanochelys can be diagnosed by having a small to medium sized, oval carapace (up to 30 cm in length), presence of three longitudinal keels, an octagonal second neural, neural III–VI with posterior short sides, a large first vertebral with lateral constriction, hexagonal second to fourth vertebral scutes, gular scutes that are longer than wide and an entoplastron that is intersected by the humeropectoral sulcus. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: subo = suborder, c = class, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Uetz 2005, Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Aquitanian to the top of the Early/Lower Pliocene or 23.03000 to 3.60000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 15.97 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 15.97 Ma
Collections (5 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquitanian - Burdigalian | Kazakhstan | Melanochelys sp. (64355) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Pakistan (Punjab) | Melanochelys sivalensis (192113) | |
| Turolian | Russian Federation (Rostovskaya Oblast') | Melanochelys sp. (174455) | |
| Early/Lower Pliocene | Moldova | Melanochelys pidoplickoi, Melanochelys mossozyi (198590) | |
| Pliocene | Pakistan | Bellia sivalensis, Bellia theobaldi, Melanochelys trijuga, Nicoria tricarinata (92070) |