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A new turtle from the Xiagou Formation (Early Cretaceous) of Changma Basin, Gansu Province, P. R. China

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Abstract

Changmachelys bohlini gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation, Changma Basin, north-western Gansu Province, adds to our understanding of the diversity and distribution of Early Cretaceous turtles in Asia. Changmachelys bohlini is similar to Early Cretaceous turtles from Asia included in “Macrobaenidae” in having a low domed carapace and a reduced, cruciform plastron with buttresses that do not extend onto the costals. With a carapace that exceeds 34 cm in length, it is one of the largest Early Cretaceous “macrobaenids”. Despite the addition of this new taxon and new characters to previous phylogenetic analyses, the relationships of “macrobaenid” turtles remain poorly resolved. In addition to adding to the diversity of “macrobaenid” turtles in the Early Cretaceous of Asia, Changmachelys bohlini is of interest because each of the four available specimens documents a distinct stage of ontogenetic development of the shell. In the carapace, the dermal portions of the costals are unossified in the most juvenile specimen but peripherals are present. In contrast with the late ossification of the dermal bone of the carapace, the plastron ossifies relatively early.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the crew of the former Fossil Research and Development Center of the Third Geology and Mineral Resources Exploration Academy of the Gansu Provincial Bureau of Geo-Exploration and Mineral Development for discovering, excavating, and preparing the specimens. Funding was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the IVPP Key Projects to Y.H.L., and Gansu Department of Land and Resources to L.D.Q.. Wu Xiao Chun of the Canadian Museum of Nature assisted with the PAUP analysis; his help is greatly appreciated. Walter Joyce, Igor Danilov, and Jim Gardner read earlier versions of this manuscript and made comments that led to its improvement. Their help is greatly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Tyrrell Museum, Box 7500, Drumheller, AB, T0J 0Y0, Canada

    Donald B. Brinkman

  2. Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 26 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing, 100037, People’s Republic of China

    Chong-Xi Yuan & Qiang Ji

  3. Gansu Geological Museum, 6 Tuanjie Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730010, People’s Republic of China

    Da-Qing Li

  4. Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xizhimenwai Street, Beijing, 100044, People’s Republic of China

    Hai-Lu You

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  1. Donald B. Brinkman
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Correspondence to Donald B. Brinkman.

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This article is registered in Zoobank under urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0D276E37-F5C1-4DE7-AD81-FB418F4F6B9D

Appendices

Appendix 1

Data matrix used to evaluate the relationships of Changmachelys bohlini gen et sp. nov.

  1. 1.

    Nasals 0: present; 1: absent.

  2. 2.

    Prefrontals meet 0: not on midline; 1: on midline,

  3. 3.

    Prefrontal-vomer contact 0: no; 1: yes.

  4. 4.

    Processus pterygoideus externus 0: no flange; 1: with vertical flange.

  5. 5.

    Foramen palatinum posterius 0: small or moderate; 1: very large.

  6. 6.

    Interpterygoid vacuity 0: open; 1: closed.

  7. 7.

    Processus trochlearis oticum 0: absent; 1: present.

  8. 8.

    Middle ear with 0: nothing 1: pterygoid floor.

  9. 9.

    Canalis caroticus internus 0: not formed by pterygoid; 1: partially or entirely by pterygoid.

  10. 10.

    Canalis caroticus internus 0: formed partially by pterygoid; 1: formed entirely by pterygoid.

  11. 11.

    Split between palatine artery and internal carotid artery 0: outside skull; 1: embedded in bone.

  12. 12.

    Floor of canalis caroticus internus 0: thin or absent; 1: thick.

  13. 13.

    Palatine artery 0: palatine equal to or greater than carotid; 1: palatine less than carotid.

  14. 14.

    Foramen posterius canalis carotici interni formed by 0: BS or PT; 1: BS and PT as in baenids.

  15. 15.

    Fenestra perilymphatica 0: large (normal); 1: small.

  16. 16.

    Blind pits on BS 0: no; 1: yes.

  17. 17.

    Posterior temporal emargination 0: not developed; 1: at least partially developed.

  18. 18.

    PA-SQ contact 0: present; 1: absent.

  19. 19.

    PO-SQ contact 0: present; 1: absent.

  20. 20.

    Vertebral articulations 0: platycoelous or amphicoelous; 1: formed: concavo-convex.

  21. 21.

    Transverse process of cervicals 0: on middle of centrum; 1: on anterior of centrum.

  22. 22.

    Posterior cervicals with 0: no ventral process; 1: ventral process.

  23. 23.

    Cervical ribs 0: present; 1: absent.

  24. 24.

    Cervical 4 0: amphicoelous 1: biconvex; 2: opisthocoelous.

  25. 25.

    Cervical 8 0 amphicoelous; 1 procoelous; 2; biconvex; 3: opisthocoelous.

  26. 26.

    Double articulation between cervicals 7 and 8 0: no; 1: yes.

  27. 27.

    Transverse processes on cervicals 0: double; 1: single.

  28. 28.

    Spine on cervical 8 0: high; 1: low.

  29. 29.

    Biconcave caudal 0: absent; 1: present.

  30. 30.

    Caudal centra 0: amphicoelous or opisthocoelous; I: procoelous.

  31. 31.

    Chevrons 0: well developed; 1: small or absent.

  32. 32.

    First thoracic rib 0: extends to peripherals; 1: fails to reach peripherals.

  33. 33.

    First thoracic centrum, 0: faces anteriorly; 1: faces strongly anteroventrally.

  34. 34.

    Mesoplastra 0: present; 1: absent.

  35. 35.

    Ligamentous carapace-plastron attachment 0: no, sutured; 1: yes.

  36. 36.

    Supramarginal scales 0: present; 1: absent.

  37. 37.

    Dorsal process on epiplastron 0: present; 1: absent.

  38. 38.

    Entop1astron separating epiplastron 0: yes; 1: no, epiplastra broadly contact.

  39. 39.

    Epiplastron 0: broad; 1: narrow.

  40. 40.

    Gular (extragular) scales 0: present, full set; 1: absent, one set.

  41. 41.

    Carapace greater than 30 cm long 0: no; 1: yes.

  42. 42.

    Neural shape 0: rectangular; 1: hexagonal.

  43. 43.

    Distance between antero-lateral tip of hyoplastron and postero-lateral tip of hypoplastron 0: much greater than bridge; 1: much shorter than bridge 2: subequal to the length of the bridge.

  44. 44.

    Vertebral scutes 0: wider than long; 1: narrow.

  45. 45.

    Surface texture, plications extending posteriorly from sulci 0: absent; 1: present.

Data matrix

Proganochelys

00000 00000 00?00 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000 00000

Kayentachelys

00110 01000 00?00 00000 00000 00?00 00000 10000 00200

Plesiochelyidae

01110 11111 00000 01000 00100 01?00 00010 11100 01200

Xinjiangchelys

??1?? ??111 0000? ?1??0 10000 000?? ?1011 11100 10000

Annemys

01111 01110 00000 01000 00?00 0110? ???01 0?10? 01010

Meiolaniidae

00110 11111 01?00 00001 00011 00000 00011 10100 1?200

Otwayemys

????? ????? ????? ???01 00?12 000?0 00011 11100 0?000

Sinemys

00111 11111 00000 11111 10022 01?11 00011 11111 00010

Dracochelys

?1111 11111 00?0? 111?1 00022 0?0?? ?0011 11111 00000

Kirgizemys

01111 11111 1100? 11001 11111 010?? ?1011 11111 00011

Ordosemys

00110 11111 0000? 11101 10012 00011 00011 101?? 00000

Liaochelys

01??0 ?1??? ????? ?1101 110?? ?1??? 1??11 1???? 00000

Manchurochelys

00?0? 11110 ?0?1? 11111 11??? ?1101 0??11 1???? 00010

Wuguia

????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ?0?01 1?11? 00011

Changmachelys

11?11 11111 ???0? 01001 11111 ?1??1 0?011 1???? 10010

Judithemys

?1?10 11111 1100? 11??1 11111 01011 11011 11111 11000

Aurorachelys

????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ????? 11010

Chelydroidea

11110 11111 11100 01101 11111 01111 01111 11111 01111

Chelonioidea

01110 11111 11000 01101 11111 11101 11111 11111 11110

Trionychoidea

11110 11111 11000 01111 11111 11101 11110 11100 01210

Testudinoidea

11110 11111 11100 01111 11112 11101 11110 11101 01210

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Brinkman, D.B., Yuan, CX., Ji, Q. et al. A new turtle from the Xiagou Formation (Early Cretaceous) of Changma Basin, Gansu Province, P. R. China. Palaeobio Palaeoenv 93, 367–382 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-013-0113-0

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