Pappochelys

Pappochelys
Temporal range: Middle Triassic, 240 Ma
The holotype specimen of Pappochelys
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Pantestudines
Genus: Pappochelys
Schoch & Sues 2015
Type species
Pappochelys rosinae

Pappochelys (παπποχέλυς [πάππος (grandfather) + χέλυς (turtle)] meaning "grandfather turtle" in Greek) is an extinct genus of diapsid reptile possibly related to turtles. The genus contains only one species, Pappochelys rosinae, from the Middle Triassic of Germany, which was named by paleontologists Rainer Schoch [de] and Hans-Dieter Sues in 2015. The discovery of Pappochelys provides strong support for the placement of turtles within Diapsida, a hypothesis that has long been suggested by molecular data, but never previously by the fossil record. It is morphologically intermediate between the definite stem-turtle Odontochelys from the Late Triassic of China and Eunotosaurus, a reptile from the Middle Permian of South Africa.[1][2][3]

  1. ^ Schoch, Rainer R.; Sues, Hans-Dieter (24 June 2015). "A Middle Triassic stem-turtle and the evolution of the turtle body plan". Nature. 523 (7562): 584–587. Bibcode:2015Natur.523..584S. doi:10.1038/nature14472. PMID 26106865. S2CID 205243837. "Supplementary Information" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-26.
  2. ^ Kaplan, Sarah (June 25, 2015). "How the turtle got its shell, a not-so 'Just So' story". Morning Mix. Washington Post.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dieter2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).