Centrochelys atlantica

Centrochelys atlantica; Temporal range: Pleistocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Centrochelys
Species:	C. atlantica
Binomial name
	Centrochelys atlantica; (López-Jurado, Mateo, & García-Márquez 1998)

Centrochelys atlantica is an extinct species of tortoise that lived in the Pleistocene. It was first recorded in the volcanic crater on Sal, Cape Verde.^[2] It was initially identified as similar to the extant Testudo calcarata (= Centrochelys sulcata). The species is no longer present anywhere in the Cape Verde islands. It has since been described as a new species, differentiated from C. sulcata by its smaller size and lesser robusticity.^[1] It does not seem there is any evidence this species came into contact with humans.^[3] Kehlmaier et al. (2021) identified the type material of this species as belonging to a specimen of the red-footed tortoise, making C. atlantica a junior synonym of the latter species and leaving the extinct tortoise known from fossils excavated on the Sal Island in the 1930s without a scientific name.^[4]

References[]

^ ^a ^b López-Jurad o, L.F., Mateo, J.A., and García-Márqu ez, M. 1998. La tortuga fósil de la isla de Sal (Archipiélago de Cabo Verde). Revista Española de Herpetología 12:111–114.
^ Chevalier, A., Joleaud , L., and Petit, G. 1935. Les dépôts quaternaires de l’ancien cratère de Pedra de Lume (île de Sal, archipel du Cap-Vert). Comptes Rendus des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris 200:1334–1335.
^ Rhodin, A.G.J.; Thomson, S.; Georgalis, G.; Karl, H.-V.; Danilov, I.G.; Takahashi, A.; de la Fuente, M.S.; Bourque, J.R.; Delfino M.; Bour, R.; Iverson, J.B.; Shaffer, H.B.; van Dijk, P.P.; et al. (Turtle Extinctions Working Group) (2015). "Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: first checklist and review of extinct Pleistocene and Holocene chelonians". Chelonian Research Monographs. 5 (8): 000e.1–66. doi:10.3854/crm.5.000e.fossil.checklist.v1.2015.
^ Kehlmaier, C.; López-Jurado, L. F.; Hernández-Acosta, N.; Mateo-Miras, A.; Fritz, U. (2021). ""Ancient DNA" reveals that the scientific name for an extinct tortoise from Cape Verde refers to an extant South American species". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): Article number 17537. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-97064-2. PMC 8413269. PMID 34475454.

[lop98-1] López-Jurad o, L.F., Mateo, J.A., and García-Márqu ez, M. 1998. La tortuga fósil de la isla de Sal (Archipiélago de Cabo Verde). Revista Española de Herpetología 12:111–114.

[chev35-2] Chevalier, A., Joleaud , L., and Petit, G. 1935. Les dépôts quaternaires de l’ancien cratère de Pedra de Lume (île de Sal, archipel du Cap-Vert). Comptes Rendus des Séances de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris 200:1334–1335.

[tewg-3] Rhodin, A.G.J.; Thomson, S.; Georgalis, G.; Karl, H.-V.; Danilov, I.G.; Takahashi, A.; de la Fuente, M.S.; Bourque, J.R.; Delfino M.; Bour, R.; Iverson, J.B.; Shaffer, H.B.; van Dijk, P.P.; et al. (Turtle Extinctions Working Group) (2015). "Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: first checklist and review of extinct Pleistocene and Holocene chelonians". Chelonian Research Monographs. 5 (8): 000e.1–66. doi:10.3854/crm.5.000e.fossil.checklist.v1.2015.

[4] Kehlmaier, C.; López-Jurado, L. F.; Hernández-Acosta, N.; Mateo-Miras, A.; Fritz, U. (2021). ""Ancient DNA" reveals that the scientific name for an extinct tortoise from Cape Verde refers to an extant South American species". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): Article number 17537. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-97064-2. PMC 8413269. PMID 34475454.

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