Denazinemys
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 74.56–73.04 Ma
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Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Pantestudines
Clade: Testudinata
Clade: †Paracryptodira
Family: †Baenidae
Clade: †Baenodda
Genus: †Denazinemys
Lucas and Sullivan, 2006
Species

D. nodosa (Gilmore, 1916)

Synonyms[1]

"Baena" nodosa Gilmore, 1916

Denazinemys was a genus of baenid turtle that lived in the Late Cretaceous of New Mexico. The holotype specimen, which D. nodosa was based on, USNM 8345, consists of a partial carapace and plastron. It came from the De-na-zin Member of the Kirtland Formation, and therefore, Denazinemys lived in the Kirtlandian land-vertebrate age. Many specimens other than the holotype have been assigned to Denazinemys.[1]

Numerous shell fragments from the Lower and the Middle Campanian were assigned to Denazinemys nodosa, based on the welted structure of the shell surface. However, a recent study calls into question the attribution of this material to Denazinemys nodosa, as the material is too fragmentary to distinguish differences in the structure of the welted shell surface.[2] As it is not yet possible to identify these fragments precisely (several species of baenidae having this same feature on their shell surface), the researchers restricted Denazinemys nodosa to the Upper Campanian.[2]

Distinguishing characteristics

Previously, Scabremys ornata was assigned to Denazinemys as D. ornata. Below are the features found in Denazinemys distinguishing the two genera:[1]

Classification

Denazinemys is a baenid along with Plesiobaena, Boremys, Scabremys, Baena and Chisternon.[1]

Below is a cladogram made by Sullivan et al. in 2013 showing the relations of Denazinemys: (note: Boremys pulchra is partly a junior synonym of Boremys grandis)[1]

Baenidae

hypothetical ancestor

Neurankylus eximius

Trintichelys hiatti

Baenodda

Plesiobaena antiqua

Scabremys ornata

Boremys pulchra

Chisternon undatum

Baena arenosa

Denazinemys nodosa

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Sullivan, R.M.; Jasinski, S.E.; Lucas, S.G. (2013). "Re-Assessment of Late Campanian (Kirtlandian) Turtles from the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland and Kirtland Formations, San Juan Basin, New Mexico, USA" (PDF). In Brinkman, D.B.; et al. (eds.). Morphology and Evolution of Turtles. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. pp. 337–339. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4309-0_20. ISBN 978-94-007-4308-3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  2. ^ a b Spicher, G.E.; Sertich, J.J.; Girard, L.C.; Joyce, W.G.; Lyson, T.R.; Rollot, Y. (2023). "A description of a Denazinemys nodosa specimen (Testudinata, Baenidae) from the Late Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation of southern Utah". Fossil Record. 26 (2): 151–170. Bibcode:2023FossR..26..151S. doi:10.3897/fr.26.102520.
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