Khunnuchelys

Kun-nu-chel-iss.
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Name

Khunnuchelys.

Phonetic

Kun-nu-chel-iss.

Named By

D.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Brinkman,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Nessov‭ & ‬J.-H.‭ ‬Peng‭ ‬-‭ ‬1994.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Testudines,‭ ‬Cryptodira,‭ ‬Trionychia,‭ ‬Trionychidae,‭ ‬Trionychinae.

Diet

Uncertain.

Species

K.‭ ‬erinhotensis‭

Size

Skull reconstruced to be up to‭ ‬17‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

China‭ ‬-‭ ‬Iren Dabasu Formation.‭ ‬Kazakstan.‭ ‬Uzbekistan‭ ‬-‭ ‬Bissekty Formation.

Time Period

Turonian to Campanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Several partial and fragmentary skulls.

In Depth

       Khunnuchelys is a genus of turtle that seems to‭ ‬have been widespread across Asia during the Late Cretaeous.‭ ‬However,‭ ‬at the time of writing Khunnuchelys is only known from partial skull material.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Khunnuchelys gen.‭ ‬nov.,‭ ‬a new trionychid‭ (‬Testudines:‭ ‬Trionychidae‭) ‬from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia and Uzbekistan.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences‭ ‬30‭(‬10-11‭)‬:2214-2223.‭ ‬-‭ ‬D.‭ ‬B.‭ ‬Brinkman,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Nessov‭ & ‬J.-H.‭ ‬Peng‭ ‬-‭ ‬1994.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT