Abstract
The estimate divergence time for extant taxa based on molecules usually exceed the age of their oldest fossil evidence; a situation that turtles do not scape. An extant genus with this situation, and thus having a controversial oldest record is Podocnemis Wagler, 1830. Here we present a new fossil turtle that constitutes a new species for this genus and represents its oldest so far known record, from the Miocene (Serraval- lian) of La Tatacoa Desert, Colombia. The new taxon named Podocnemis tatacoensis n. sp. shares with all extant members of Podocnemis a nuchal bone wider than long; lateral musk foramina at the hyoplastron- peripherals (except P. sextuberculata Cornalia, 1849), pectoral scales do not contact mesoplastra, but do contact entoplastron and epiplastra. We explored the phylogenetic position of P. tatacoensis n. sp. find- ing support for its inclusion as part of Podocnemis clade, particularly in a clade composed by the extant P. unifilis Troschel, 1848, suggesting a potential closer relationship of the new fossil taxon with this taxon.
Translated title of the contribution | Un nuevo fósil termina la controversia sobre la ocurrencia del género actual Podocnemis Wagler, 1830 en la fauna del Mioceno, Colombia |
---|---|
Original language | English |
Article number | 45 |
Pages (from-to) | 127 |
Number of pages | 138 |
Journal | Geodiversitas |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 23 2023 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Palaeontology