Allaeochelys

Allaeochelys Temporal range: Eocene–Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Allaeochelys crassesculptata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Carettochelyidae
Tribe:	†
Genus:	†Allaeochelys Noulet, 1867
Species
A. carasecai A. crassesculpta (sometimes crassesculptata)

Allaeochelys is an extinct genus of Carettochelyid turtle, known from the Eocene to Miocene of Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.

Fossils of the species Allaeochelys crassesculpta have been found in the Messel Pit near Darmstadt, Germany in pairs fossilised in the coital position.

It is believed to be the only example in the fossil record of vertebrates mating.

Dr Walter Joyce of the University of Tübingen said that "We've demonstrated quite clearly that each pair is a male and a female, and not, for example, just two males that might have died in combat....People had long speculated they might have died while mating, but that's quite different from actually showing it."^[1]

Taxonomy[]

After^[2]

Allaeochelys crassesculpta (Harrassowitz, 1922) Messel Pit, Germany, Early Eocene
Allaeochelys delheidi (Dollo, 1886) Brussels Formation, Belgium, Zamora, Spain, Early Eocene Headon Hill Formation, England, Late Eocene (Priabonian)
Allaeochelys libyca Havlik et al., 2014, Al Wahat District, Libya, middle Miocene (Langhian)
Allaeochelys lingnanica (Young and Chow, 1962) Shaoguan, Guangdong, China early Paleogene (possibly Paleocene)
Allaeochelys magnifica (Hutchison et al., 2004) , Myanmar, Late Eocene (Bartonian)
Allaeochelys parayrei Noulet, 1867 Tarn, Toulouse, France, Late Eocene (Bartonian)
Allaeochelys liliae Carbot-Chanona et al. 2020 Mazantic Shale, Chiapas, Mexico, Early Miocene (Aquitanian)

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Allaeochelys.

^ Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News (20 June 2012). "Turtles fossilised in sex embrace". BBC News: Science and Environment. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
^ Carbot-Chanona, Gerardo; Rivera-Velázquez, Gustavo; Jiménez-Hidalgo, Eduardo; Reynoso, Víctor Hugo (December 2020). "The first Pan-Carettochelys turtle in the Neogene of the American continent and its paleobiogeographical relevance". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 104: 102925. Bibcode:2020JSAES.10402925C. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2020.102925. S2CID 224976641.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Genus

Cryptodira

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

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

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

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

Trionychia

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

†Baenoidea

†Baenidae	†Arvinachelys †Baena †Cedrobaena †Chisternon †Denazinemys †Gamerabaena †Neurankylus †Palatobaena †Peckemys †Plesiobaena
†Pleurosternidae	†Dinochelys †Dorsetochelys †Glyptops †Pleurosternon †Selenemys

Chelydridae	†Acherontemys Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Eurysternidae	†Achelonia †Chelonides †Eurysternum †Hydropelta †Idiochelys †Palaeomedusa †Parachelys
†Macrobaenidae	†Anatolemys †Aurorachelys †Kirgizemys †Osteopygis †Yakemys
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Archelon †Atlantochelys †Chelosphargis †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
†Sinemydidae	†Jeholochelys †Liaochelys †Manchurochelys †Ordosemys †Sinemys
†Thalassemydidae	†Neusticemys †Palaeomedusa †Thalassemys
	†Adocus †Angolachelys †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Brodiechelys †Ctenochelys †Compsemys †Hoyasemys †Larachelus †Leyvachelys †Plesiochelys †Toxochelys †Uluops †Xinjiangchelys

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 †Chubutemys †Hispaniachelys †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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