Tasbacka Temporal range: Campanian-Eocene, Campanian–48.6^[1]^[2] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

T. danica fossil from the Fur Formation
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Chelonioidea
Family:	Cheloniidae
Tribe:	Cheloniini
Genus:	Tasbacka Nessov, 1987
Type species
Tasbacka aldabergeni Nessov, 1987
Other species
Tasbacka danica Karl & Madsen, 2012 Tasbacka germanica Karl, Gröning & Brauckmann, 2019 Tasbacka ouledabdounensis Tong & Hirayama, 2002 Tasbacka ruhoffi Weems, 1988 Tasbacka salisburgensis Karl, 1996

Tasbacka is an extinct genus of sea turtle containing several species.^[1]^[3]

Though the type species, T. aldabergeni, has only been found in Kazakhstan,^[4] Tasbacka had a wide distribution. T. ruhoffi was found in the eastern USA,^[5] T. danica in modern Denmark, T. ouledabdounensis in modern Morocco, T. salisburgensis in modern Austria,^[3] and T. germanica in modern Germany.^[2]

In 2008, researchers found a well-preserved, juvenile specimen of T. danica in Denmark's Fur Formation.^[6] Some of the fossil's soft tissues remained.^[7] The specimen, dating back to 54 Ma, contained eumelanin. This pigment would've given the hatchling a dark shell while it was alive. Modern sea turtle hatchlings also have dark shells; while a hatchling floats on the ocean's surface, its dark coloring enables it to absorb heat from the sun and avoid predatory birds. The existence of similar pigment on an ancient specimen suggests sea turtles evolved this survival trait millions of years ago.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "†Tasbacka Nesov 1986 (sea turtle)". Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
^ ^a ^b Karl, H.-V.; Gröning, E.; Brauckmann, C. (2019). "Tasbacka germanica n. sp., a new Campanian marine turtle from NW-Germany (Testudines: Chelonioidea)". Mainzer Naturwissenschaftliches Archiv. 56: 99–112.
^ ^a ^b Karl, H.-V.; Madsen, H. (2012). "Tasbacka danica n. sp., a new Eocene marine turtle of Denmark (Testudines: Chelonioidea)" (PDF). Studia Palaeocheloniologica. 4: 193–204.
^ "†Tasbacka aldabergeni Nessov 1987 (sea turtle)". Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks.
^ "†Tasbacka ruhoffi Weems 1988 (sea turtle)". Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks.
^ ^a ^b Peake, Tracey (October 17, 2017). "Keratin, Pigment, Proteins From 54 Million-Year-Old Sea Turtle Show Survival Trait Evolution". NC State University News. North Carolina State University.
^ "Danekræ fossil trove collection". Statens Naturhistoriske Museum Samlinger (in Danish). A complete juvenile sea-turtle referred to the new species Tasbacka danica, with soft tissue preservation and outstanding exhibition value.

Cheloniidae family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Sea turtles
Family: Cheloniidae

Genera

Species of the Cheloniidae family

†Allopleuron

†Allopleuron hofmanni

†Argillochelys

†Argillochelys africana

Caretta

Loggerhead sea turtle

†Carolinochelys

†Carolinochelys wilsoni

Chelonia

Green sea turtle

†Eochelone

†Eochelone brabantica
†Eochelone voltregana

Eretmochelys

Hawksbill sea turtle

†Gigantatypus

†Gigantatypus salahi

†Glarichelys

†Glarichelys knorri

†Itilochelys

†Itilochelys rasstrigin

Lepidochelys

Kemp's ridley sea turtle
Olive ridley sea turtle
†Lepidochelys waikatoica

†Mexichelys

†Mexichelys coahuilaensis

†Miocaretta

†Miocaretta lankae

Natator

Flatback sea turtle

†Pacifichelys

†Pacifichelys hutchisoni
†Pacifichelys urbinai

†Syllomus

†Syllomus aegyptiacus
†Syllomus crispatus

†Tasbacka

†Tasbacka aldabergeni
†Tasbacka danica
†Tasbacka ouledabdounensis
†Tasbacka ruhoffi
†Tasbacka salisburgensis

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct.

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