Bothremys

Bothremys is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered near Gloucester, New Jersey.[1] The genus consists of type species B. cooki, B. arabicus, B. kellyi, and B. maghrebiana.[1]

Bothremys
Temporal range: Maastrichtian–Paleocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Pleurodira
Family: †Bothremydidae
Subfamily: †Bothremydinae
Tribe: †Bothremydini
Subtribe: †Bothremydina
Genus: †Bothremys
Leidy, 1865
Type species
†Bothremys cooki
Leidy, 1865
Other species
  • †B. arabicus Zalmout et al., 2005
  • †B. kellyi Gaffney et al., 2006
  • †B. maghrebiana Gaffney et al., 2006

Discovery

The holotype of Bothremys was discovered in the greensand formations near Gloucester Township, New Jersey. It consists of a partially-complete skull and a lower jaw.

Description

In Leidy's 1865 description, he notes that the skull lacks the auditory passages, zygomatic arches, and some other minor bones. The lower jaw completely lacks the condyloid joint, which had apparently been destroyed. The top of the skull is nearly flat, with a slight forward incline. The orbits are relatively small, facing outwards and forwards. A deep conical pit occupies each maxilla, which led Leidy to suggest the presence of a tooth-like protuberance. The orbit are separated from the temporal process by a bony "wall" composed of sections of several different skull bones.[1]

References
  1. Leidy, J., 1865 "Cretaceous reptiles of the United States." Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge 192:1-135 https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.39830


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