A new species of Argillochelys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Cheloniidae) from the Ouled Abdoun phosphate basin, Morocco

Haiyan Tong*, Ren Hirayama

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A new species of Argillochelys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Cheloniidae), A. africana n. sp. is described on the basis of three skulls and a lower jaw from the Lower Tertiary beds of the Ouled Abdoun phosphate basin, Morocco. It differs from A. cuneiceps, A. antiqua and A. athersuchi essentially in the frontal well retracted from the orbital margin, with a broad prefrontal/postorbital contact, a more developed secondary palate, and the anterior part of the lower jaw more dorsoventrally flattened, with a wider triturating surface and a longer symphysis, without lingual ridge. This is the first record of Argillochelys from Africa.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)623-630
Number of pages8
JournalBulletin de la Societe Geologique de France
Volume179
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008

Keywords

  • Argillochelys
  • Cheloniidae
  • Cryptodira
  • Lower Tertiary
  • Morocco
  • Testudines

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

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