Sindhochelys is a genus of extinct turtle of the family Bothremydidae. It lived during the early Paleocene in what is known Sindh, Pakistan.[1] The genus was discovered in the Khadro Formation and named in December 2021.[1] The genus represents the first known member of its family in Pakistan.[1] The family Bothremydidae lived from the Cenomanian of the early Cretaceous[2] to the Miocene epoch.[3]

Sindhochelys
Temporal range: Early Paleocene–Early Eocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Pleurodira
Family: Bothremydidae
Genus: Sindhochelys
Lapparent de broin et al., 2021
Type species
Sindhochelys ragei
Lapparent de Broin et al., 2021

Discovery edit

The turtle was discovered in the Paleogene aged Khadro Formation, which is located near the Ranikot Fort area of Pakistan. The formation also contains the remains of the giant snake Gigantophis[4] which was discovered in 1901 by Charles William Andrews.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c de Lapparent de Broin, F.; Métais, G.; Bartolini, A.; Brohi, I. A.; Lashari, R. A.; Marivaux, L.; Merle, D.; Warar, M. A.; Solangi, S. H. (2021). "First report of a bothremydid turtle, Sindhochelys ragei n. gen., n. sp., from the early Paleocene of Pakistan, systematic and palaeobiogeographic implications". Geodiversitas. 43 (25): 1341–1363. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2021v43a25. S2CID 245220767.
  2. ^ Pérez-García, A.; Antunes, M.T.; Barroso-Barcenilla, F.; Callapez, P.M.; Segura, M.; Soares, A.F.; Torices, A. (2017). "A bothremydid from the middle Cenomanian of Portugal identified as one of the oldest pleurodiran turtles in Laurasia". Cretaceous Research. 78: 61–70. Bibcode:2017CrRes..78...61P. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.05.031.
  3. ^ "Supplementary information:The turtles from the upper Eocene, Osona County (Ebro Basin, Catalonia, Spain) new material and its faunistic and environmental context" (PDF). fr.copernicus.org.
  4. ^ "First report of a bothremydid turtle, Sindhochelys ragei n. gen., n. sp., from the early Paleocene of Pakistan, systematic and palaeobiogeographic implications". Geodiversitas. 43 (2): 25–73. 2021.
  5. ^ ""Gigantophis garstini"". fossilworks.org.