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New Turtles from the Paleogene of North America

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Morphology and Evolution of Turtles

Part of the book series: Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology ((VERT))

Abstract

Formal names, diagnoses, and descriptions are supplied for previously identified, but informally named, cryptodiran turtles from the Paleogene of Montana and Wyoming, USA. Two new early Paleocene (Puercan) turtles are described from Montana: a peculiar trionychid, Atoposemys entopteros gen. et. sp. nov., from the Tullock Member of the Fort Union Formation, and a chelydrid, Tullochelys montanus gen. et. sp. nov., from both the Tullock Member of the Fort Union Formation and the Hell Creek Formation. From the Wasatchian (early Eocene) Wasatch and Willwood formations of Wyoming, the following taxa are described: the earliest North American emydid, Psilosemys wyomingensis gen. et. sp. nov.; a platysternid, Cardichelyon rogerwoodi gen. et. sp. nov.; and Planetochelys dithyros sp. nov. A new family, Planetochelyidae, within the Trionychoidae, is erected for Planetochelys.

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Acknowledgments

I thank P. Gingerich and W. Bartels (both UMMP), D. Baird (formerly of Princeton University), D. M. Bramble and John Legler (both University of Utah), J. A. Lillegraven (UW), P. Holroyd (UCMP), T. M. Bown and E. L. Lindsay and B. McCord (University of Arizona Paleontology Laboratory, Tucson), T. Rowe (Texas Memorial Museum, Austin) and E. S. Gaffney (AMNH), for access to collections in their care and loan of specimens. Bob O’Donnell (USGS), B. T. Waters (formerly of UCMP), T. Bown, (formerly with the USGS), K. D. Rose (John Hopkins University), S. L. Wing (USNM), P.A. Holroyd (UCMP), K.T. Smith (formerly UCMP), D. E. Savage (UCMP), W. A. Clemens (UCMP), and D. M. Bramble provided field assistance in collecting and geology. I have received financial support from the following sources: NSF Grant GB 40361 to D. E. Savage; National Science Foundation and National Geographic Society grants to W. A. Clemens; a fellowship from the University of Utah Department of Biology; the Annie M. Alexander Endowment to the University of California Museum of Paleontology; and teaching fellowship (1979–1980) from the Department of Biology, University of Utah. The finely detailed stipple drawings were prepared by A. Lucas-Andreae. R. Wood provided photographs and a Princeton University artist provided the shaded drawings of the holotype of Cardichelyon. Other figures are by me. I thank K. Kishi for the expert preparation of many specimens. The BLM provided collecting permits to Federal lands. I thank I. G. Danilov and V. B. Sukhanov for access to unpublished material of Pseudochrysemys, and J. F. Parham for facilitating that access. I thank J. Parham, M. J. Ryan and particularly K. T. Smith for provided useful and helpful criticisms, many of which were followed, and P. A. Holroyd and D. Brinkman for their patience.

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Correspondence to J. Howard Hutchison .

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Hutchison, J.H. (2013). New Turtles from the Paleogene of North America . In: Brinkman, D., Holroyd, P., Gardner, J. (eds) Morphology and Evolution of Turtles. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4309-0_26

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