Project 3167: J. C. Mallon, D. B. Brinkman. 2018. Basilemys morrinensis, a new species of nanhsiungchelyid turtle from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of Alberta, Canada. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 38 (2):e1431922.
Abstract
We describe a new species of nanhsiungchelyid turtle, Basilemys morrinensis, based on a nearly complete shell from the Horsethief Member (lower Maastrichtian) of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta. The species is intermediate in age between the Campanian forms B. variolosa and B. gaffneyi and the upper Maastrichtian forms B. sinuosa and B. praeclara. It is also intermediate in its morphology, possessing a unique suite of both plesiomorphic (e.g., divided extragulars) and derived (e.g., square epiplastral beak, pygal wider than long) traits. It is further characterized by an autapomorphic square cervical scale. Phylogenetic analysis assuming parsimony recovers B. morrinensis in a polytomy with B. variolosa and B. gaffneyi, outside the clade formed by the upper Maastrichtian forms B. sinuosa and B. praeclara. The holotype of Basilemys morrinensis provides the first evidence that this genus reached large size (?1 m long) in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation and was not diminutive as previously thought based on less complete shell material. Although Basilemys is usually regarded as terrestrial in habit based on its skull and limb morphology, we note that the low profile of its shell is a derived feature usually indicative of an aquatic mode of life. This suggests that there is yet much to learn about the life habits of this interesting turtle.Read the article »
Article DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2018.1431922
Project DOI: 10.7934/P3167, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P3167
This project contains | Matrices |
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Download Project SDD File ![]() | Total scored cells: 440 Total media associated with cells: 0 Total labels associated with cell media: 0 |
Characters | |
Total characters: 47 Total characters with associated media: 0 Total characters with media with labels: 0 Total character states: 98 Total character states with associated media: 0 Total character states with media with labels:0 Total unordered/ordered characters:47/0 |
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MorphoBank Project 3167
MorphoBank Project 3167
- Creation Date:
08 May 2018 - Publication Date:
11 May 2018 - Project views: 12601
- Matrix downloads: 3
Authors' Institutions
- Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller
- Canada Museum of Nature
Members
member name | taxa ![]() |
specimens ![]() |
media ![]() | chars ![]() | character
| cell scorings (scored, NPA, "-") | cell
| rules ![]() | ||||||
MorphoBank Curator Project Administrator | 15 | 2 | 1 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 440 (440, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
MorphoBank Curator Full membership ![]() | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 (0, 0, 0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M25408' (15 Taxa)
taxon | unscored cells |
scored cells ![]() |
no cell support ![]() |
NPA cells |
"-" cells | cell images | labels on cell images |
member access |
[1] † Adocus sp. Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 1 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[2] † Zangerlia testudinimorph Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 26 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[3] † 'Zangerlia' neimongolensis Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 3 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[4] † 'Zangerlia' ukhaachelys Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[5] † Basilemys variolosa Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 4 | 45 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[6] † Basilemys gaffneyi Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 15 | 34 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[7] † Basilemys sinuosa Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 18 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[8] † Basilemys praeclara Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 26 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[9] † Hanbogdemys orientalis Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 12 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[10] † Anomalochelys angulata Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[11] † Nanhsiungchelys wuchingensis Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 14 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[12] † Kharakhutulia kalandadzei Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[13] † Jianxichelys ganzhouensis Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 28 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[14] † 'Zangerlia' dzamynchondi Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
[15] † Basilemys morrinensis Last Modified in 05/09/18 | 19 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 ![]() |
Project views 
type | number of views | Individual items viewed (where applicable) |
Total project views | 12601 | |
Project overview | 1344 | |
Media views | 2769 | Media search (2307 views); M508408 (462 views); |
Matrix views | 1046 | Matrix landing page (872 views); Mallon Brinkman nexus file (174 views); |
Bibliography | 593 | |
Taxon list | 4299 | |
Specimen list | 1676 | |
Views for media list | 868 | |
Documents list | 6 |
Project downloads 
type | number of downloads | Individual items downloaded (where applicable) |
Total downloads from project | 168 | |
Project downloads | 165 | |
Matrix downloads | 3 | Mallon Brinkman nexus file (3 downloads); |