Carbonemys Temporal range: Mid–Late Paleocene (Peligran–Itaboraian) ~60–58 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓

Life restoration of Carbonemys
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Family:	Podocnemididae
Genus:	†Carbonemys Cadena et al., 2012
Type species
†Carbonemys cofrinii Cadena et al., 2012

Carbonemys cofrinii is an extinct giant podocnemidid turtle known from the Middle Paleocene Cerrejón Formation of the Cesar-Ranchería Basin in northeastern Colombia. The formation is dated at around 60 to 57 million years ago, starting at about five million years after the KT extinction event.^[1]

Discovery and Naming

In 2005, the holotype specimen was discovered in the Cerrejón coal mine by a North Carolina State University doctoral student named Edwin Cadena. The genus name translates to "Coal Turtle" ("Carbon" Latin for "coal" and "emys" Greek for "freshwater turtle"), in reference to the coal mine the fossil was extracted from. The specific epithet honors Dr. David Cofrin.

Description

The Carbonemys holotype had a shell that measured about 1.72 metres (5 ft 8 in) and estimated at 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in) for complete carapace.^[1] This would make it one of the world's largest turtles, tied with the Quaternary Peltocephalus maturin and Eocene Drazinderetes in carapace length and only outsized by the Cretaceous protostegids, the Miocene Stupendemys, and two Quaternary testudines (Megalochelys and Titanochelon).^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Paleobiology

Carbonemys’ relatively massive jaws^[1] indicate that it had a powerful bite. It was likely an omnivore, consuming plants and mollusks as well as smaller reptiles, which were diverse and abundant in its neotropical freshwater habitat.^[6]^[7] Its cohabitants included other turtles like the smaller podocnemid Cerrejonemys, the giant boid (constrictor) Titanoboa, and crocodylomorphs such as the dyrosaurids Cerrejonisuchus, Acherontisuchus, and Anthracosuchus.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Cadena, E. A.; Ksepka, D. T.; Jaramillo, C. A.; Bloch, J. I. (2012). "New pelomedusoid turtles from the late Palaeocene Cerrejón Formation of Colombia and their implications for phylogeny and body size evolution". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 10 (2): 313–331. Bibcode:2012JSPal..10..313C. doi:10.1080/14772019.2011.569031. S2CID 59406495.
^ "Researchers reveal ancient giant turtle fossil". Phys.org. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
^ Maugh II, Thomas H. (18 May 2012). "Researchers find fossil of a turtle that was size of a Smart car". LA Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
^ Ferreira, G. S.; Nascimento, E. R.; Cadena, E. A.; Cozzuol, M. A.; Farina, B. M.; Pacheco, M. L. A. F.; Rizzutto, M. A.; Langer, M. C. (2024). "The latest freshwater giants: a new Peltocephalus (Pleurodira: Podocnemididae) turtle from the Late Pleistocene of the Brazilian Amazon". Biology Letters. 20 (3). doi:10.1098/rsbl.2024.0010.
^ Head, J.J.; Raza, S.M.; Gingerich, P.D. (1999). "DRAZINDERETES TETHYENSIS, A NEW LARGE TRIONYCHID (REPTILIA: TESTUDINES) FROM THE MARINE EOCENE DRAZINDA FORMATION OF THE SULAIMAN RANGE, PUNJAB (PAKISTAN)". Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology University of Michigan. 30 (7): 199–214.
^ "Car-sized Turtle Found in Colombian Coal Mine : Discovery News". News.discovery.com. 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
^ Freeman, David (17 May 2012). "Turtle Fossil Found In Colombia Suggests Carbonemys Cofrinii Was Size Of Small Car". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2022.

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

Paleontology in Colombia

Notable
researchers

After 1900	Brieva Cadena Etayo Hammen Hettner Hoffstetter Jaramillo Páramo De Porta Villarroel
19th century	Cuvier Humboldt

Major
fossiliferous
stratigraphic units

Pleistocene	Sabana Fm. Tibitó Soatá Fm.
Neogene	Barzalosa Fm. Castilletes Fm. Honda Group La Venta Jimol Fm. Uitpa Fm. Ware Fm.
Paleogene	Bogotá Fm. Cerrejón Fm. Cerrejón
Cretaceous	La Frontera Fm. Hiló Fm. Hondita Fm. Oliní Gp. Paja Fm.
Jurassic	Arcabuco Fm. Valle Alto Fm.
Devonian	Cuche Fm. Floresta Fm.

Notable fossils

Pleistocene	Gomphotheres Megatherium
Honda Gp.	Anachlysictis Aramus paludigrus Balanerodus Boreostemma Cebupithecia Colombophis Dracaena colombiana Dukecynus Eunectes stirtoni Galbula hylochoreutes Granastrapotherium Gryposuchus Hilarcotherium Hoazinoides Hondadelphys Huilatherium Lagonimico Langstonia Lycopsis Micodon Miocallicebus Miocochilius Mohanamico Mourasuchus Neotamandua Nuciruptor Patasola Potamosiren Purussaurus Saimiri annectens Saimiri fieldsi Stirtonia Xenastrapotherium
Gualanday Gp.	Colombitherium
Bogotá Fm.	Etayoa
Cerrejón Fm.	Acherontisuchus Anthracosuchus Carbonemys Cerrejonemys Cerrejonisuchus Montrichardia aquatica Puentemys Titanoboa
Oliní Gp.	Eonatator
Hondita Fm.	Pachyrhizodus etayoi Yaguarasaurus
Hiló Fm.	Ammonites
Paja Fm.	Acostasaurus Callawayasaurus Desmatochelys Kronosaurus Leivanectes Leyvachelys Muiscasaurus Padillasaurus Platypterygius Sachicasaurus Stenorhynchosaurus
Arcabuco Fm.	Dinosaur tracks
Valle Alto Fm.	Flora
Cuche Fm.	Antarctilamna Asterolepis Bothriolepis Cheiracanthoides Colombialepis Colombiaspis Florestacanthus Holoptychius Pterygotus Strepsodus
Floresta Fm.	Trilobites

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