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Corsochelys
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Chelonioidea
Family: Dermochelyidae
Genus: † Corsochelys
Zangerl, 1960
Type species
†C. halinches

Corsochelys is an extinct genus of sea turtle that lived in the Late Cretaceous ( Campanian). Zangerl (1960) named the type species (and currently only species; C. haliniches), based upon remains found in Alabama within the Mooreville Chalk Formation (the lower part of the Selma Group). [1]

Description

Corsochelys is a basal dermochelyid. [1] As with other basal chelonioids (such as Santanachelys and Toxochelys), Corsochelys possesses a large foramen interorbitale with a narrow processus inferior parietalis, which indicates that the genus possessed salt-excreting lachrymal glands. [2] In addition to its similarly to these genera, Corsochelys retains a carapace with minimally reduced coastal plates. [3] Like the larger Archelon, Corsochelys had channels penetrating the subphyseal plate from bone into the cartilage above, [4] much like the living leatherback turtle. This means that Corsochelys would have reached their large size quickly through fast skeletal growth, as with the leatherback. [4]

Recently, a dermochelyid that closely resembles Corsochelys was found in the Maastrichtian deposits of the Ouled Abdoun phosphate basin, Morocco. [5]

References

  1. ^ a b Hiryana R. 1997. Distribution and diversity of Cretaceous chelonioids. In: Ancient Marine Reptiles (eds.) Callaway JM, Nicholls EL. Academic Press. pp. 225-241.
  2. ^ Hiryana R. 1998. Oldest known sea turtle. Nature 392:705-708. Archived 2006-09-16 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 20th, 2008.
  3. ^ 2004. Lehman TM, Tomlinson SL. 2004. Terlinguachelys fischbecki, a new genus and species of sea turtle (Chelonioidea: Protostegidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Texas. Journal of Paleontology 78(6): 1163-1178 Retrieved on June 20th, 2008.
  4. ^ a b Snover ML, Rhodin AGL. 2007. Comparative ontogenetic and phylogenetic aspects of chelonian chondro-osseous growth and skeletochronology. In: Wyneken J, Godfrey M, Mels V. (eds.). The biology of turtles. USA: CRC Press pp. 17-43. Archived 2012-05-08 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on June 20th, 2008.
  5. ^ Tong H, Hirayama R. 2004. First Cretaceous dermochelyid turtle from Africa. Revue de Paléobiologie, Genève 9: 55-59. Retrieved on June 20th, 2008.

Suggested further reading

  • The Biology of Sea Turtles by Peter L. Lutz and John A. Musick
  • Biology of Turtles by Jeanette Wyneken, Matthew H. Godfrey, and Vincent Bels

External links

Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Corsochelys&oldid=1043391304"