Trionyx messelianus

Trionyx messelianus Temporal range: Middle Eocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N

Trionyx messelianus from Messel Pit Fossil Site at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Subfamily:	Trionychinae
Genus:	Trionyx
Species:	T. messelianus
Binomial name
*Tryonyx messelianus* Reinach 1900

Trionyx messelianus is an extinct species of softshell turtle belonging to the family Trionychidae. These turtles lived in the Middle Eocene. Whether the various specimen found at the Messel Pit Fossil Site can be classified within the genus Trionyx is uncertain. Some authors believe that Trionyx messelianus from Messel should be considered synonym of Rafetoides austriacus (Peters, 1858), see Karl (1998).

Description

Trionyx messelianus is a three-clawed soft-shell turtle that can reach a length of about two feet. It is the largest species of turtles of Messel Pit Fossil Site. The carapace and plastron are not connected by bony prominences and the plastron shows bony plates reduced to small protrusions.

References

H.-V. Karl - Zur Taxonomie der känozoischen Weichschildkröten Österreichs und Deutschlands (Trionychidae: Trionychinae).- Mitt. Geol. Und Paläont. Landesmuseum Joanneum, 56: 273- 328; Graz (1998).
M. Morlo, S. Schaal, G. Mayr, C. Seiffert - Annotated taxonomic list of the Middle Eocene Vertebrata of Messel (2004)
Colin Tudge Uncovering Our Earliest Ancestor
Natuur informatie
Hans-Volker Karl Jurnal Article

Extinct turtles

Triassic period	Pappochelys Odontochelys Proganochelys

Jurassic period	Australochelys Basilochelys Caribemys Condorchelys Dinochelys Dorsetochelys Eileanchelys Eurysternum Hispaniachelys Kayentachelys Palaeomedusa Sinaspideretes Thalassemys Uluops

Cretaceous period	Allopleuron Atlantochelys Angolachelys Anomalochelys Araripemys Archelon Arvinachelys Bouliachelys Caririemys Cearachelys Chelosphargis Chupacabrachelys Compsemys Corsochelys Cratochelone Ctenochelys Desmatochelys Emarginachelys Foxemys Gigantatypus Gilmoremys Glyptops Jiangxichelys Kallokibotion Kinkonychelys Kirgizemys Khunnuchelys Kurmademys Liaochelys Lomalatachelys Notochelone Ocepechelon Pappigerus Paracryptodira Patagoniaemys Polysternon Pleurosternon Prochelidella Protostega Protostegidae Pneumatoarthrus Sankuchemys Santanachelys Sinemys Terlinguachelys Toxochelys Trionyx kansaiensis Yaminuechelys

Paleogene and Neogene period	Acherontemys Allaeochelys Anosteira Arabemys Argillochelys Aurorachelys Baenidae Berruchelus Carbonemys Carolinochelys Cedrobaena Cerrejonemys Chelodina murrayi Chelydrops Chelydropsis Chisternon Cosmochelys Crossochelys Elseya uberrima Elseya nadibajagu Eochelone Eosphargis Euclastes Gamerabaena Glarichelys Hadrianus Hesperotestudo Hutchemys Itilochelys Kinosternon pojoaque Macrocephalochelys Manchurochelys Meiolania Meiolaniidae Megalochelys Mesodermochelys Mexichelys Miocaretta Niolamia Ninjemys Pacifichelys Palaeotrionyx Palatobaena Parahydraspis Peckemys Planiplastron Plesiobaena Procolpochelys Protochelydra Protosphargis Psephophorus Puppigerus Rheodytes devisi Stupendemys Stylemys Syllomus Warkalania

Recent	Cylindraspis species: Domed Mauritius giant tortoise Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise Réunion giant tortoise Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise Aldabrachelys abrupta Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii (Lonesome George)

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