A new Iberian pleurosternid (Jurassic-Cretaceous transition, Spain) and first neuroanatomical study of this clade of stem turtlesA partial skeleton of a pleurosternid turtle (Paracryptodira), from the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition at the Spanish locality of Ágreda (Moncayo Region, Soria Province), is presented here. Its partial skull represents the third of this lineage to be recognized in the European record, with the previously known specimens corresponding to British species. The specimen of Pleurosternidae studied here is attributed to a new species, Pleurosternon moncayensis. This lineage of stem turtles is identified as the most abundant and diverse group of freshwater aquatic turtles in Europe for the stages adjacent to the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition. Its presence decreased radically at post-Berriasian levels, when freshwater lineages of Eucryptodira, of Asian origin, are identified as the dominant forms at these aquatic turtle faunas. The confirmation of Pleurosternidae as freshwater inhabitants is made here, through the first neuroanatomical study for this lineage. Thus, the neuroanatomical reconstruction of Pleurosternon moncayensis sp. nov. is the first to be carried out for a freshwater stem turtle, and it allows us to identify convergent adaptations with freshwater members of the crown Testudines.
Bothremydidae is a successful lineage of pleurodiran turtles that lived from the Cretaceous to the Paleogene, and are found in most continents of both Laurasia and Gondwana. Despite numerous known cranial remains of this clade, no study on the complete neuroanatomical reconstruction of any of its representatives has been published so far. Tartaruscola teodorii is a French lower Eocene member of Foxemydina (Bothremydini), known by two skulls. It is one of the few bothremydids identified in the Cenozoic record of Europe. The present study includes the complete three-dimensional reconstruction of each of the cranial bones of both the holotype and the paratype of T. teodorii, increasing the anatomical information about this species. The virtual reconstruction of its neuroanatomical structures is presented here, including the cranial cavity, nerves, nasal cavity, inner ears, and carotid arteries. This analysis is the first detailed neuroanatomical study performed for a member of Bothremydidae. In addition, the virtual reconstruction of the neuroanatomical structures of some extant taxa belonging to several pleurodiran lineages (Chelidae, Pelomedusidae and Podocnemididae), are also carried out and analyzed, so that the comparative framework for Pleurodira is remarkably improved.
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.