Mexichelys

Meks-e-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

Mexichelys ‭(‬Mexico shell‭)‬.

Phonetic

Meks-e-chel-iss.

Named By

J.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Parham‭ & ‬N.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Pyenson‭ ‬-‭ ‬2010.

Classification

Chordata,,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Testudines,‭ ‬Cryptodira,‭ ‬Chelonioidea.

Diet

Durophagous.

Species

M.‭ ‬coahuilaensis‭

Size

Unavailable.

Known locations

Mexico.

Time Period

Late Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial Remains.

In Depth

       Mexichelys was originally described as a species of Euclastes,‭ ‬but was re-described to its own genus in‭ ‬2010.‭ ‬Like relative genera,‭ ‬Mexichelys is thought to have been a durophagous carnivore of shelled organisms such as molluscs and crustaceans.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Euclastes coahuilaensis sp.‭ ‬nov.,‭ ‬a basal cheloniid turtle from the late Campanian Cerro del Pueblo Formation of Coahuila State,‭ ‬Mexico.‭ ‬-‭ ‬PaleoBios‭ ‬28‭ (‬3‭)‬:‭ ‬76‭–‬88.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Brinkman,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Aquillon-Martinez,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬D�vila,‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Jamniczky,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Eberth‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬Colbert‭ ‬-‭ ‬2009. -‭ ‬New sea turtle from the Miocene of Peru and iterative evolution of feeding ecomorphologies since the Cretaceous.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Paleontology‭ ‬84‭(‬2‭)‬:231-247.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Parham‭ & ‬N.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Pyenson‭ ‬-‭ ‬2010.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT