A new Triassic turtle from France

The earliest turtles are known from the middle Late Triassic (Norian), but their record in the latest Triassic (Rhaetian) is very scarce. Bartassochersis lopezi from France is the first Rhaetian turtle from the northern hemisphere. The new species is the youngest member the clade Proterochersidae, known also from Poland. It shows multiple unique features, suggesting intensive diversification and evolution of that group right until its extinction at the Triassic–Jurassic boundary. 3D models of Bartassochersis can be downloaded from MorphoMuseuM.

Figure: Bartassochersis lopezi, posterior part of plastron (ventral part of the shell) in dorsal (left) and ventral (middle) view, and associated natural mold of its ventral surface (right). Osseous attachment of the pelvis indicates affinity with the Proterochersidae. Scale bar: 1 cm. Specimen from the collection of the Université de Montpellier, France.