Sahonachelys - Misplaced Pages

Extinct genus of pelomedusoid turtle

Sahonachelys Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, ~70–65.8 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ Maastrichtian

Life Restoration
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Family:	†Sahonachelyidae
Genus:	†Sahonachelys Joyce et al,, 2021
Type species
†Sahonachelys mailakavava Joyce et al., 2021

Sahonachelys is an extinct genus of pelomedusoid turtle from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Maevarano Formation of Madagascar. The genus contains a single species, Sahonachelys mailakavava.

Discovery and naming

The holotype specimen, (UA) 10581 was originally discovered in June 2015 within a layer of the Maastrichtian aged Maevarano Formation within the Mahajanga Basin, north-western Madagascar, while removing overburden less than one meter above a layer rich in archosaur fossils. The holotype consists of a partial and well preserved skeleton consisting of the skull, a partial hyoid, a shell, and remains of the limbs, shoulder girdles and vertebrae.

The taxon would later be erected as a new genus in 2021. The name Sahonachelys is a combination of the Malagasy words "sahona" meaning frog, and the Greek word "chelys" meaning turtle; the specific name is made up of Malagasy "mailaka" meaning quick and "vava" meaning mouth; the full binomial name translates to "quick-mouthed frog turtle".

Description

Sahonachelys is a genus of small pelomedusoid turtle, that existed in what is now Madagascar during the Maastrichtian epoch approximately 72.1 to 66 million years ago. It had a flattened skull and particularly small and gracile jaw giving its head an almost frog like appearance in life. Considering how Sahonachelys possess enlarged hyoids, no teeth and both surfaces of the upper and lower that face toward each other are poorly developed, suggests that Sahonachelys was specialized for an aquatic, suction feeding lifestyle. Sahonachelys likely feed on insect larvae, small fish and tadpoles.

This specialized feeding adaptation has not been documented within any other crown pelomedusoid illustrating the uniqueness of the Madagascan fauna during the Cretaceous, and ways they evolved within isolation from the rest of the planet during this time.

Classification

A phylogenetic analysis conducted by Joyce et al. found it to be a sister taxon of Sokatra antitra based on the presence of a reduced contribution of the maxilla to the floor of the orbit, and, the presence of distinct posterior process of the maxilla. Because of this Sokatra and Sahonachelys represent the only taxa within the clade Sahonachelyidae. The same analysis also concluded that Sahonachelyidae is sister to the clade formed by Podocnemididae and Bothremydidae.

	Sokatra

	Sahonachelys

	Sankuchemys

	Jainemys

Kinkonychelys

Cearachelyini

	Taphrosphyini

	Bothremydini

References

^ Joyce, W. G.; Rollot, Y.; Evers, S. W.; Lyson, T. R.; Rahantarisoa, L. J.; Krause, D. W. (2021). "A new pelomedusoid turtle, Sahonachelys mailakavava, from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar provides evidence for convergent evolution of specialized suction feeding among pleurodires". Royal Society Open Science. 8 (5): Article ID 210098. Bibcode:2021RSOS....810098J. doi:10.1098/rsos.210098. PMC 8097199. PMID 34035950.
"A new pelomedusoid turtle from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar discovered". news. Madagascar. 2021.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Genus

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.

See also List of Testudines families

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