Foxemys, a new side-necked turtle (Bothremydidae, Pelomedusoides) from the late Cretaceous of France. American Museum novitates ; no. 3251
Supplemental Materials
Date
1998
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Publisher
New York, NY : American Museum of Natural History
DOI
DOI
Abstract
"Associated skull and shell material from the late Cretaceous (probably Maastrichtian) of Fox Amphoux, southern France, is the new pleurodire taxon Foxemys mechinorum. Foxemys is a member of the pelomedusoid family Bothremydidae because it has these synapomorphies of that group: quadrate-basisphenoid covers prootic ventrally, stapedial canal opens anteriorly, precolumellar fossa absent, and eustachian tube separated from incisura columellae auris. A PAUP analysis of 23 characters and four bothremydid taxa has resulted in one cladogram showing Foxemys as the sister taxon to Taphrosphys, Bothremys, and Rosasia. Only one character, an open incisura columellae auris in Foxemys (closed in the three others), is the basis for this relationship, however, and it is considered to be weakly supported. The skull and shell of Foxemys are most similar to Polysternon provinciale from the Campanian of Villevayrac, France. The skull of Foxemys is similar to Polysternon in being wedge-shaped with a posteriorly expanded triturating surface. These genera differ from each other in that Polysternon has its mandibular condyles well anterior to the occipital condyle while in Foxemys these structures are nearly lined up transversely"--P. [1].
Description
19 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 18-19).
Includes bibliographical references (p. 18-19).
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