Allopleuron

Extinct genus of turtles

Allopleuron Temporal range: Early Cretaceous–Oligocene 94.3–28.4 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Fossil specimen, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Chelonioidea
Family:	Cheloniidae
Subfamily:	†Allopleuroninae
Genus:	†Allopleuron Gray, 1831^[1]
Species^[2]
†A. hofmanni (Gray, 1831) †A. insulare (Cope, 1872) †A. lipsiense Karl, 2007 †A. qazaqstanense (Hay, 1908)

Allopleuron (meaning "other side") is a genus of extinct sea turtle, which measured 2-to-2.5-metre (6 ft 7 in to 8 ft 2 in) long in life. The type species is Allopleuron hofmanni. It is a basal member of the clade Pancheloniidae,^[3] closely related to Protosphargis. Similar to Protosphargis, it was characterized by shell reduction.^[4]

Fossil history

Allopleuron lived from the Early Cretaceous (Cenomanian age, 94.3 Ma) to the Oligocene (Rupelian age, 28.4 Ma), therefore surviving the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Fossils have been found from Germany, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan and the United States.^[2]^[5]

Life history

Allopleuron was believed to have used the Laurasian-Holarctic southern continental shelf as a breeding area.^[6] The modern day location of the breeding ground is along the coast of Asia. Allopleuron is believed to have eaten jellyfish, seaweed, or carcasses.^[7] It is believed that adult male Allopleuron lived off the coast of southeast Netherlands, and northeast Belgium due to the large amount of fossils in these areas. The area is believed to have been a sea grass meadow that was able to sustain the large population. The lack of remains from juvenile Allopleuron indicate that the young of the species lived elsewhere.^[6]

Phylogeny

Evers et al. (2019):^[3]

†Toxochelys

†Corsochelys

†Nichollsemys

†Allopleuron

Cheloniidae

†Argillochelys

†Procolpochelys

	†Eochelone

	†Puppigerus

	†Ctenochelys

	†Peritresius

	†Cabindachelys

References

^ Gray, J.E. (1831), Synopsis Reptilium, Part I: 54 and 79
^ ^a ^b Hans-Volker Karl; Elke Gröning; Carsten Brauckmann (2012). "New materials of the giant sea turtle Allopleuron (Testudines: Chelonioidea) from the marine Late Cretaceous of Central Europe and the Palaeogene of Kazakhstan". Studia Palaeocheloniologica IV, Studia Geologica Salmanticensia. 9: 153–173.
^ ^a ^b Evers, Serjoscha W.; Barrett, Paul M.; Benson, Roger B. J. (2019-05-01). "Anatomy of Rhinochelys pulchriceps (Protostegidae) and marine adaptation during the early evolution of chelonioids". PeerJ. 7: e6811. doi:10.7717/peerj.6811. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 6500378. PMID 31106054.
^ Hirayama, Ren (2005). "SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF PROTOSPHARGIS VERONENSIS CAPELLINI, AN ENIGMATIC SEA TURTLE FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF ITALY". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (25): 70A.
^ "Fossilworks: Allopleuron". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
^ ^a ^b Universidad de Salamanca, Ediciones (2013-12-20). "Índice". Studia Historica. Historia Moderna. 35: 1. doi:10.14201/11405. ISSN 0213-2079.
^ "Marine Turtles". oceansofkansas.com. Retrieved 2019-05-05.

Taxon identifiers
Allopleuron	Wikidata: Q29533125 GBIF: 4818752 IRMNG: 1007904 Open Tree of Life: 3606401 Paleobiology Database: 36326
Allopleuron hofmanni	Wikidata: Q1277114 EoL: 32544304 GBIF: 8697762 Paleobiology Database: 255079 uBio: 4063547

Cheloniidae family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Sea turtles
Family: Cheloniidae

Genera

Species of the Cheloniidae family

†Allopleuron

†Allopleuron hofmanni

†Argillochelys

†Argillochelys africana

Caretta

Loggerhead sea turtle

†Carolinochelys

†Carolinochelys wilsoni

Chelonia

Green sea turtle

†Eochelone

†Eochelone brabantica
†Eochelone voltregana

Eretmochelys

Hawksbill sea turtle

†Gigantatypus

†Gigantatypus salahi

†Glarichelys

†Glarichelys knorri

†Itilochelys

†Itilochelys rasstrigin

Lepidochelys

Kemp's ridley sea turtle
Olive ridley sea turtle
†Lepidochelys waikatoica

†Mexichelys

†Mexichelys coahuilaensis

†Miocaretta

†Miocaretta lankae

Natator

Flatback sea turtle

†Pacifichelys

†Pacifichelys hutchisoni
†Pacifichelys urbinai

†Syllomus

†Syllomus aegyptiacus
†Syllomus crispatus

†Tasbacka

†Tasbacka aldabergeni
†Tasbacka danica
†Tasbacka ouledabdounensis
†Tasbacka ruhoffi
†Tasbacka salisburgensis

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=Extinct.

Testudines

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Diapsida
Order: Testudines

Suborder

Superfamily

Family

Genus

Cryptodira

Chelonioidea
(Sea turtles)

Cheloniidae	†Allopleuron Caretta †Carolinochelys Chelonia †Eochelone Eretmochelys †Gigantatypus †Glarichelys †Itilochelys Lepidochelys †Mexichelys †Miocaretta Natator †Pacifichelys †Syllomus †Tasbacka
Dermochelyidae	†Arabemys †Corsochelys †Cosmochelys Dermochelys †Eosphargis †Mesodermochelys †Psephophorus
	†Euclastes †Peritresius †Procolpochelys †Protosphargis †Puppigerus

Kinosternoidea

Dermatemydidae	Dermatemys
Kinosternidae	Claudius †Hoplochelys Kinosternon Staurotypus Sternotherus

Testudinoidea

Emydidae	†Acherontemys Chrysemys Clemmys Deirochelys Emys Actinemys Emydoidea Glyptemys Graptemys Malaclemys Pseudemys Terrapene Trachemys †Wilburemys
Geoemydidae	Batagur †Banhxeochelys Cuora Cyclemys Geoclemys Geoemyda Hardella Heosemys Leucocephalon Malayemys Mauremys Melanochelys Morenia Notochelys Orlitia Pangshura Rhinoclemmys Sacalia Siebenrockiella Vijayachelys
Platysternidae	Platysternon
Testudinidae	Aldabrachelys Astrochelys Centrochelys Chelonoidis Chersina Cylindraspis †Cymatholcus †Floridemys Geochelone Gopherus †Hadrianus †Hesperotestudo Homopus Indotestudo Kinixys Malacochersus Manouria †Megalochelys †Oligopherus Psammobates Pyxis †Solitudo Stigmochelys †Stylemys Testudo

Trionychia

Carettochelyidae	†Allaeochelys †Anosteira Carettochelys
Trionychidae	Amyda Apalone †Axestemys Chitra Cyclanorbis Cycloderma †Drazinderetes Dogania †Gilmoremys †Hutchemys †Khunnuchelys Lissemys Nilssonia Palea †Palaeoamyda Pelochelys Pelodiscus Rafetus Trionyx
	†Basilochelys †Sinaspideretes

Chelydridae	Chelydra †Chelydrops †Chelydropsis †Emarginachelys †Macrocephalochelys Macrochelys †Planiplastron †Protochelydra
†Nanhsiungchelyidae	†Anomalochelys †Basilemys †Jiangxichelys
†Protostegidae	†Alienochelys †Archelon †Atlantochelys †Bouliachelys †Calcarichelys †Cratochelone †Desmatochelys †Iserosaurus †Notochelone †Ocepechelon †Pneumatoarthrus †Protostega †Rhinochelys †Santanachelys †Terlinguachelys
	†Adocus †Argillochelys †Bashuchelys †Ctenochelys †Prionochelys †Toxochelys

Pleurodira

†Araripemydidae	†Araripemys
†Bothremydidae	†Araiochelys †Arenila †Azabbaremys †Bothremys †Cearachelys †Chedighaii †Chupacabrachelys †Eotaphrosphys †Foxemys †Galianemys †Ilatardia †Inaechelys †Itapecuruemys †Jainemys †Kinkonychelys †Kurmademys †Labrostochelys †Nigeremys †Phosphatochelys †Polysternon †Puentemys †Rosasia †Rhothonemys †Sankuchemys †Taphrosphys †Ummulisani †Zolhafah
Chelidae	Acanthochelys Chelodina Chelus Elseya Elusor Emydura Hydromedusa †Lomalatachelys Mesoclemmys Myuchelys Phrynops Platemys †Prochelidella Pseudemydura Rheodytes Rhinemys †Yaminuechelys
Pelomedusidae	Pelomedusa Pelusios
Podocnemididae	†Albertwoodemys †Bauruemys †Brontochelys †Caninemys †Carbonemys †Cerrejonemys †Cordichelys Erymnochelys †Lapparentemys †Latentemys Peltocephalus Podocnemis †Stupendemys
†Sahonachelyidae	†Sahonachelys †Sokatra

	†Caribemys †Caririemys †Tacuarembemys

Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on Turtles of the World 2017 Update: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status. † = extinct.