Centrocryptodira

Common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina, photographed by M. J. Baker.

Belongs within: Pancryptodira.
Contains: Pantrionychia, Emydidae, Pantestuguria, Kinosternidae, Dermochelyoidae, Cheloniidae.

The clade Centrocryptodira unites the crown cryptodiran tortoises with the extinct Meiolaniidae, the horned turtles. The Meiolaniidae were often large tortoises with horn- or knob-like protrusions on the rear of the skull and an armoured tail surrounded by bony rings. Remains are known from South America and Australasia, and they survived in the latter region until the Holocene, only becoming extinct within the last 2000 years or so. Among the major lineages of the crown group, the Chelydridae include the snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina and Macroclemys temminckii) of North and South America, and the big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) of southeastern Asia. Members of this family have large heads with strong jaws, and limbs that cannot be fully retracted into the shell (Animal Diversity Web). The Kinosternoidea are freshwater turtles found in North and South America, characterised by the loss of the extragular and pectoral scales of the plastron and the absence of scales on the skull roof. Within the Kinosternoidea, the Dermatemydidae are represented by a singly living species, the hickatee Dermatemys mawii of Central America. The Chelonioidea include the living sea turtles, characterised by the modification of the legs into flippers with elongation of the third and fourth digits and flattening of the carpals and tarsals (Animal Diversity Web).

Characters (from Gaffney & Meylan 1988): Formed vertebral articulations; posterior section of canalis caroticus internus with relatively thick floor; plastral buttresses not reaching costal bones.

Centrocryptodira
    |--Meiolaniidae [Meiolanoidea, Miolaniidae] GM88
    |    |--Niolamia argentina Ameghino 1899 B93
    |    |--Ninjemys oweni WW10
    |    |--Warkalania carinaminor WW10
    |    `--Meiolania Owen 1886 D07
    |         |--M. argentina Smith Woodward 1901 F71
    |         |--M. brevicollis WW10
    |         |--M. damelipi White, Worthy et al. 2010 WW10
    |         |--M. mackayi Anderson 1925 F71
    |         |--M. oweni Woodward 1888 B93
    |         `--M. platyceps Owen 1886 WW10
    `--Cryptodira (see below for synonymy) JPG04
         |  i. s.: Emarginachelys GM88
         |--Pantrionychia AS09
         `--+--Cryptoderinea [Pancryptoderinea] JPG04
            |    |--Pantestudinoidea JPG04
            |    |    |--Lindholmemys JPG04
            |    |    |--Mongolemys JPG04
            |    |    `--Testudinoidea [Emychelydia, Panemychelydia] GM88
            |    |         |--Emydidae GM88
            |    |         `--Pantestuguria AS09
            |    `--Panchelydridae JPG04
            |         |--Sinemydidae B93
            |         |    |--Sinemys lens Wiman 1930 B93
            |         |    `--Protochelydra zangerli Erickson 1973 GM88, B93
            |         `--Chelydridae [Chelydrinae, Chelydroidea] GM88
            |              |  i. s.: Devisia methodes B28
            |              |--Chelydra serpentina (Linnaeus 1758) GM88, JPG04 [=Testudo serpentina JPG04]
            |              |    |--C. s. serpentina N10
            |              |    |--C. s. acutirostris N10
            |              |    |--C. s. osceola N10
            |              |    `--C. s. rossignonii N10
            |              `--Platysternini GM88
            |                   |--Macroclemys GM88 [=Macrochelys (l. c.) N10, Macroclemmys (l. c.) N10]
            |                   |    `--M. temminckii (Troost 1835) [=Chelonura temminckii] JPG04
            |                   `--Platysternina [Panplatysternon] GM88
            |                        |--Chelydropsis GM88
            |                        `--Platysternon [Platysternidae] AS09
            |                             `--P. megacephalum Gray 1831 JPG04
            `--+--Pankinosternoidea JPG04
               |    |--Agomphus JPG04
               |    `--Kinosternoidea [Kinosternoidae] JPG04
               |         |--Pankinosternidae [Kinosternia] JPG04
               |         |    |--Hoplochelys GM88
               |         |    `--Kinosternidae GM88
               |         `--Dermatemydidae [Pandermatemys] GM88
               |              |--Baptemys Leidy 1873 GM88, C77
               |              |    |--*B. wyomingensis Leidy 1870 JPG04
               |              |    `--B. tricarinata Hay 1908 B93
               |              `--Dermatemys AS09
               |                   |--D. costilatus Cope 1875 C77
               |                   |--D. mawii Gray 1847 JPG04
               |                   `--D. wyomingensis C77
               `--Chelonioidea [Euchelonioidea, Panchelonioidea] JPG04
                    |  i. s.: Corsochelys GM88
                    |         Rhinochelys GM88
                    |--Pandermochelys JPG04
                    |    |  i. s.: Santanachelys gaffneyi JPG04
                    |    |--Allopleuron Baur 1888 GM88, F91
                    |    |--Dermochelyoidae GM88
                    |    `--Desmatochelyidae B93
                    |         |--Desmatochelys lowi Williston 1898 GM88, B93
                    |         `--Notochelone costata (Owen 1882) B93
                    `--Pancheloniidae JPG04
                         |  i. s.: Euclastes JPG04
                         |--Toxochelys [Toxochelyinae] GM88
                         |    `--T. latiremis Cope 1873 B93
                         `--+--Ctenochelys [Lophochelyinae] GM88
                            |    |--C. acris Zangerl 1953 B93
                            |    `--C. tenuitesta Zangerl 1953 B93
                            `--+--Osteopyginae [Osteopygidae] TH02
                               |    |--Osteopygis emarginatus Cope 1868 B93
                               |    |--Rhetechelys GM88
                               |    `--Erquelinnesia TH02
                               |         |--E. gosseleti (Dollo 1886) B93
                               |         `--E. planimenta TH02
                               `--+--Cheloniidae AS09
                                  `--Eochelyinae TH02
                                       |--Argillochelys Lydekker 1889 TH02
                                       |--Puppigerus Cope 1871 TH02
                                       |    `--P. camperi TH02
                                       `--Eochelone Dollo 1903 GM88, TH02
                                            `--E. brabantica TH02

Cryptodira [Chelomacryptodira, Chersemyda, Panchersemyda, Pantrionychoidea, Polycryptodira, Procoelocryptodira, Trionychoidea] JPG04

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[AS09] Alfaro, M. E., F. Santini, C. Brock, H. Alamillo, A. Dornburg, D. L. Rabosky, G. Carnevale & L. J. Harmon. 2009. Nine exceptional radiations plus high turnover explain species diversity in jawed vertebrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 106 (32): 13410–13414.

[B93] Benton, M. J. 1993. Reptilia. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 681–715. Chapman & Hall: London.

[B28] Betrem, J. G. 1928. Monographie der Indo-Australischen Scoliiden mit zoogeographischen Betrachtungen. H. Veenman & Zonen: Wageningen.

[C77] Cope, E. D. 1877. Report upon the extinct Vertebrata obtained in New Mexico by parties of the expedition of 1874. Geographical Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian 4 (2): i–iv, 1–370.

[D07] Dixon, D. 2007. The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures. Hermes House: London.

[F71] Fletcher, H. O. 1971. Catalogue of type specimens of fossils in the Australian Museum, Sydney. Australian Museum Memoir 13: 1–167.

[F91] Freess, W. B. 1991. Beiträge zur Kenntnis von Fauna und Flora des marinen Mitteloligozäns bei Leipzig. Altenburger Naturwissenschaftliche Forschungen 6: 3–74.

[GM88] Gaffney, E. S., & P. A. Meylan. 1988. A phylogeny of turtles. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 1. Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds pp. 157–219. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[JPG04] Joyce, W. G., J. F. Parham & J. A. Gauthier. 2004. Developing a protocol for the conversion of rank-based taxon names to phylogenetically defined clade names, as exemplified by turtles. Journal of Paleontology 78 (5): 989–1013.

[N10] Naish, D. 2010. Tetrapod Zoology: Book One. CFZ Press: Bideford (UK).

[TH02] Tong, H., & R. Hirayama. 2002. A new species of Tasbacka (Testudines: Cryptodira: Cheloniidae) from the Paleocene of the Ouled Abdoun phosphate basin, Morocco. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatshefte 2002 (5): 277–294.

Last updated: 30 January 2022.

Emydidae

European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, copyright Nicola Maraspini.

Belongs within: Centrocryptodira.

The Emydidae are a family of mostly aquatic tortoises found primarily in the Americas. The only representatives native elsewhere are species of the genus Emys found in the western Palaearctic region. However, the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta has, through the pet trade, become an invasive species in many parts of the world.

Synapomorphies (from Gaffney & Meylan 1988): Batagurine process absent, no pterygoid-basioccipital contact; angular usually reaching Meckel's cartilage; double articulation of fifth and sixth cervical; chromosome number 2n = 50.

<==Emydidae [Panemydidae]
    |  i. s.: Glyptemys CP03
    |           |--G. insculpta (Le Conte 1830) JPG04
    |           `--G. muhlenbergii (Schoepf 1801) JPG04
    |         Pseudograptemys Hutchison 1996 H96
    |           `--*P. inornata (Loomis 1904) [=Chrysemys inornata, Graptemys inornata; incl. G. cordifera Clark 1937] H96
    |--Emydinae GM88
    |    |--Clemmys Ritgen 1828 GM88, F91
    |    |    |--C. caspica CS77
    |    |    |--C. guttata (Schneider 1792) JPG04
    |    |    |--C. insculpta W-CL06
    |    |    `--C. muhlenbergi MB93
    |    `--+--+--Emydoidea GM88
    |       |  `--Terrapene GM88
    |       |       |--T. carolina (Linnaeus 1758) JPG04
    |       |       |--T. coahuila Schmidt & Owens 1944 JPG04
    |       |       |--T. nelsoni Stejneger 1925 JPG04
    |       |       `--T. ornata (Agassiz 1857) JPG04
    |       `--Emys Dumeriel 1806 GM88, F91
    |            |--E. blandingii (Holbrook 1838) JPG04
    |            |--E. cibollensis Cope 1877 C77
    |            |--E. euthnetus C77
    |            |--E. gravis C77
    |            |--E. lativertebralis Cope 1876 C77
    |            |--E. marmorata Baird & Girard 1852 JPG04
    |            |--E. nebrascensis Leidy 1851 H96
    |            |--E. orbicularis (Linnaeus 1758) K08, L58 [=Testudo orbicularis L58]
    |            |--E. testudineus C77
    |            `--E. vyomingensis C77
    `--Deirochelyinae [Deirochelyoidae] GM88
         |--Malaclemys terrapin (Schoepf 1793) GM88, JPG04
         |--Graptemys GM88
         |    |--G. barbouri Carr & Marchand 1942 JPG04
         |    |--G. caglei Haynes & McKown 1974 JPG04
         |    |--G. ernsti Lovich & McCoy 1992 JPG04
         |    |--G. flavimaculata Cagle 1954 JPG04
         |    |--G. geographica (LeSueur 1817) JPG04
         |    |--G. gibbonsi Lovich & McCoy 1992 JPG04
         |    |--G. kohni CP03
         |    |--G. nigrinoda Cagle 1954 JPG04
         |    |--G. oculifera (Baur 1890) JPG04
         |    |--G. ouachitensis Cagle 1953 JPG04
         |    |--G. pseudogeographica (Gray 1831) JPG04
         |    |--G. pulchra Baur 1893 JPG04
         |    `--G. versa Stejneger 1925 JPG04
         `--+--Chrysemys Gray 1844 GM88, H96
            |    |--C. antiqua (Clark 1937) [=Trachemys antiqua] H96
            |    |--C. bicarinata (Bell 1849) B93
            |    |--C. picta (Schneider 1783) [=Testudo picta] JPG04
            |    |--C. scripta B81
            |    |--C. testudiniformis (Owen 1844) B93
            |    `--C. timida Hay 1908 H96
            `--+--Deirochelys reticularia (Latreille 1801) GM88, JPG04
               `--+--Pseudemys GM88
                  |    |--P. alabamensis Baur 1893 JPG04
                  |    |--P. concinna (Le Conte 1830) JPG04 [=Chrysemys concinna R93]
                  |    |--P. floridana (Le Conte 1830) JPG04
                  |    |--P. nelsoni Carr 1938 JPG04
                  |    |--P. rubriventris (Le Conte 1830) JPG04
                  |    |--P. scripta B81
                  |    |--P. texana Baur 1893 JPG04
                  |    `--P. troosti D56
                  `--Trachemys GM88
                       |--T. adiutrix (Vanzolini 1995) JPG04
                       |--T. callirostris (Gray 1855) JPG04
                       |--T. decorata (Barbour & Carr 1940) JPG04
                       |--T. decussata (Gray 1831) JPG04
                       |--T. dorbigni (Dumeril & Bibron 1835) JPG04
                       |--T. emolli (Legler 1990) JPG03
                       |--T. gaigeae (Hartweg 1939) JPG04
                       |--T. grayi CP03
                       |--T. nebulosa (Van Denburgh 1895) JPG04
                       |--T. ornata (Gray 1831) JPG04
                       |--T. scripta (Schoepf 1792) JPG04
                       |    |--T. s. scripta W-CL06
                       |    |--T. s. elegans W-CL06
                       |    `--T. s. trootsi W-CL06
                       |--T. stejnegeri (Schmidt 1928) JPG04
                       |--T. taylori (Legler 1960) JPG04
                       |--T. terrapen (Bonnaterre 1789) JPG04
                       |--T. venusta (Gray 1855) JPG04
                       `--T. yaquia (Legler & Webb 1970) JPG04

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B93] Benton, M. J. 1993. Reptilia. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 681–715. Chapman & Hall: London.

[B81] Brooks, D. R. 1981. Raw similarity measures of shared parasites: an empirical tool for determining host phylogenetic relationships? Systematic Zoology 30 (2): 203–207.

[CP03] Claude, J., E. Paradis, H. Tong & J.-C. Auffray. 2003. A geometric morphometric assessment of the effects of environment and cladogenesis on the evolution of the turtle shell. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 79: 485–501.

[C77] Cope, E. D. 1877. Report upon the extinct Vertebrata obtained in New Mexico by parties of the expedition of 1874. Geographical Surveys West of the One Hundredth Meridian 4 (2): i–iv, 1–370.

[CS77] Cramp, S., & K. E. L. Simmons (eds) 1977. Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa: The Birds of the Western Palaearctic vol. 1. Ostrich to Ducks. Oxford University Press: Oxford.

[D56] Dawes, B. 1956. The Trematoda with special reference to British and other European forms. University Press: Cambridge.

[F91] Freess, W. B. 1991. Beiträge zur Kenntnis von Fauna und Flora des marinen Mitteloligozäns bei Leipzig. Altenburger Naturwissenschaftliche Forschungen 6: 3–74.

[GM88] Gaffney, E. S., & P. A. Meylan. 1988. A phylogeny of turtles. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 1. Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds pp. 157–219. Clarendon Press: Oxford.

[H96] Hutchison, J. H. 1996. Testudines. In: Prothero, D. R., & R. J. Emry (eds) The Terrestrial Eocene–Oligocene Transition in North America pp. 337–353. Cambridge University Press.

[JPG04] Joyce, W. G., J. F. Parham & J. A. Gauthier. 2004. Developing a protocol for the conversion of rank-based taxon names to phylogenetically defined clade names, as exemplified by turtles. Journal of Paleontology 78 (5): 989–1013.

[K08] Korsós, Z. 2008. History of the herpetological collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Annales Historico-Naturales Musei Nationalis Hungarici 100: 37–93.

[L58] Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii: Holmiae.

[MB93] Malecki, R. A., B. Blossey, S. D. Hight, D. Schroeder, L. T. Kok & J. R. Coulson. 1993. Biological control of purple loosestrife. BioScience 43 (10): 680–686.

[R93] Rieppel, O. 1993. Patterns of diversity in the reptilian skull. In: Hanken, J., & B. K. Hall (eds) 1993. The Skull vol. 2. Patterns of Structural and Systematic Diversity pp. 344–390. The University of Chicago Press.

[W-CL06] Watkins-Colwell, G. J., T. A. Leenders, B. T. Roach, D. J. Drew, G. Dancho & J. Yuckienuz. 2006. New distribution records for amphibians and reptiles in Connecticut, with notes on the status of an introduced species. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 47 (1–2): 47–62.

Last updated: 8 December 2021.