Astrochelys rogerbouri

Extinct species of tortoise

Astrochelys rogerbouri Temporal range: Holocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Conservation status
Extinct (before 954 AD)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	Astrochelys
Species:	†A. rogerbouri
Binomial name
†Astrochelys rogerbouri Kehlmaier et. al., 2023

Astrochelys rogerbouri is an extinct tortoise species in the family Testudinidae which formerly lived in Madagascar.

Discovery and naming

The type specimen, MNHN.F.MAD480, is a nearly complete tibia and was collected in June 1900 in Ambolisatra, Madagascar by Guillaume Grandidier. It is kept at the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle. This material was originally assigned as a juvenile specimen of Aldabrachelys abrupta, likely as the two share a type locality, and it was only found to represent a new species after DNA analysis.^[1]^[2]

The specific name honors Roger Bour, a herpetologist and expert on western Indian Ocean giant tortoises who helped in the investigation describing this species.^[1]

Description

Astrochelys rogerbouri was a large tortoise species, with an estimated straight carapace length of 50 cm. This matches the size of its congeneric relative, the angonoka tortoise, which has a maximum straight carapace length of 51.9 cm. Though it is only known from a tibia, its mitochondrial genome shows deep genetic divergence, supporting its status as a distinct species.^[1]

Ecology

In Ambolisatra, the presence of both A. rogerbouri and Aldabrachelys abrupta have been confirmed through genomic analysis of remains found at the site, confirming that the two species occurred in microsympatry. Additional remains from Ambolisatra have been morphologically referred to Aldabrachelys grandidieri and the extant radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), but these records have not been genetically verified. The subfossil bones found in Ambolisatra assigned to Astrochelys radiata (as well as 3 other subfossil records of A. radiata and Astrochelys sp. outside the current range of the species) may represent Astrochelys rogerbouri. Though the remains identified as Aldabrachelys grandidieri from Ambolisatra are fragmentary and their assignment is questionable, Ambolisatra is geographically within the range of genetically-confirmed Aldabrachelys grandidieri records, and the species may indeed have coexisted with Astrochelys rogerbouri there. Ambolisatra is also near the northwestern limit of the radiated tortoise's current range, and within the range of the extant spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides). In total, 5 tortoise species undoubtedly formerly lived in southwestern Madagascar (the spider tortoise, the two extinct Aldabrachelys species, the radiated tortoise and Astrochelys rogerbouri), an exceptional level of sympatric tortoise diversity.^[1]

Judging from the former sympatry of A. rogerbouri and the radiated tortoise, the two may have had different preferences in diet or habitat, and the angonoka tortoise may be hypothesized to have shared such preferences with A. rogerbouri.^[1]

Extinction

It is unknown when A. rogerbouri became extinct, though it is believed to have survived until 1262 to 1069 years B.P. (between 761 to 954 AD) at least.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kehlmaier, Christian; Graciá, Eva; Ali, Jason R.; Campbell, Patrick D.; Chapman, Sandra D.; Deepak, V.; Ihlow, Flora; Jalil, Nour-Eddine; Pierre-Huyet, Laure; Samonds, Karen E.; Vences, Miguel; Fritz, Uwe (2023-01-13). "Ancient DNA elucidates the lost world of western Indian Ocean giant tortoises and reveals a new extinct species from Madagascar". Science Advances. 9 (2): eabq2574. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abq2574. ISSN 2375-2548. PMC 9833658. PMID 36630487.
^ "New species of large tortoise discovered after a century of mistaken identity". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-12.

External links

Tortoise family

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Testudinoidea
Family: Testudinidae

Genera

Species of the tortoise family

Agrionemys

Russian tortoise

Aldabrachelys

Astrochelys

Angonoka tortoise
Radiated tortoise
†Astrochelys rogerbouri

Centrochelys

Chelonoidis

Chaco tortoise
Red-footed tortoise
Yellow-footed tortoise
†Chelonoidis alburyorum
†Chelonoidis cubensis
†Chelonoidis lutzae
†Chelonoidis monensis
†Chelonoidis sellovii
†Chelonoidis sombrerensis

Galápagos tortoise

Chelonoidis complex

†Cheirogaster

†Cheirogaster bacharidisi
†Cheirogaster gymnesica
†Cheirogaster schafferi

Chersina

Angulate tortoise

†Hadrianus

†Hadrianus corsoni
†Hadrianus majusculus
†Hadrianus octonaria
†Hadrianus robustus
†Hadrianus schucherti
†Hadrianus utahensis
†Hadrianus vialovi

†Hesperotestudo

†Hesperotestudo percrassa

Pancake tortoise

Pyxis

Leopard tortoise

†Stylemys

†Stylemys botti
†Stylemys calaverensis
†Stylemys canetotiana
†Stylemys capax
†Stylemys conspecta
†Stylemys copei
†Stylemys emiliae
†Stylemys frizaciana
†Stylemys karakolensis
†Stylemys nebrascensis
†Stylemys neglectus
†Stylemys oregonensis
†Stylemys pygmea
†Stylemys uintensis
†Stylemys undabuna

Testudo

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