Gen. indet

Zouhri, Samir, Gingerich, Philip D., Khalloufi, Bouziane, Bourdon, Estelle, Adnet, Sylvain, Jouve, Stéphane, Elboudali, Najia, Amane, Ayoub, Rage, Jean-Claude & Tabuce, Rodolphe, 2021, Middle Eocene vertebrate fauna from the Aridal Formation, Sabkha of Gueran, southwestern Morocco, Geodiversitas 43 (5), pp. 121-150 : 134

Gen. et sp. indet. A

EXAMINED MATERIAL. — FSAC Bouj-196, fragmentary hypoplastron ( Fig. 5N ).

DESCRIPTION

FSAC Bouj-196 ( Fig. 5N ) is a fragment of right hypoplastron, in the inguinal notch corner, and it bears the lateral end of the abdominofemoral sulcus. The surface is rather smooth, bright, not granulous and ornamented by not protruding polygons.

REMARKS

The lateral curve of the plate in the inguinal buttress area shows an obliquely elevated bridge. This is not the case in marine cryptodiran turtles: the bridge is flat in Cheloniidae and the plastron is so much reduced that there is no more bridge in Dermochelyidae ( Gervais 1872: figs 7, 8). The decoration indicates an aquatic form and probably a pleurodire. In the African context at that time, this specimen ought to be a podocnemidoid turtle ( Podocnemididae or Bothremydidae ). The position of the femoroabdominal sulcus matches these families. By comparison with turtle distribution at Ad-Dakhla and Fayum localities, it might be a member of the littoral Stereogenyina ( Zouhri et al. 2017) .

Figures

FIG. 5. — Actinopterygii and Testudines from the Sabkha of Gueran: A-G, Actinopterygii: Cylindracanthus sp., FSAC Bouj-356, rostrum in (A1) lateral and (A2) transversal views; B-E, Percomorpha indet.: B, FSAC Bouj-369,vertebra in (B1) lateral and (B2) transversal views; C, FSAC Bouj-363, vertebra in (C1) lateral and (C2) transversal views; D, FSAC Bouj-370, basioccipital in left lateral view; E, FSAC Bouj-371, fin spine in anterior view; F, Scombridae indet., FSAC Bouj-358, incomplete jawbone in labial view; G, Siluriformes indet., FSAC Bouj-372, right pectoral spine in anterior view; H-P, Testudines: H-L, Cheloniidae indet., FSAC Bouj-109,fragmentary costal in (H1) lateral transection, (H2) ventral, (H3) dorsal and (H4) medial transection views; I, FSAC Bouj-352,fragmentary lateral process of right hyoplastron in (I1) ventral and (I2) dorsal views; J, FSAC Bouj-351, subcomplete right hypoplastron in (J1) ventral and (J2) dorsal views; K, FSAC Bouj- 353, fragment of dermal plate, unlocated on the carapace, in dorsal view; L, FSAC Bouj-354, fragment of dermal plate, unlocated on the shell in (L1, L2) both faces; M, Dermochelyidae indet., FSAC Bouj-350, lateral pubic process of right pubis in (M1) ventral and (M2) dorsal views; N,? Podocnemidoidea indet., FSAC Bouj-196, fragment of right hypoplastron in (N1) dorsal and (N2) ventral views; O, Indeterminata (? Podocnemidoidea indet.), FSAC Bouj-95, fragment of dermal plate of carapace in (O1) dorsal and (O2) ventral views; P, Gueran turtles, pieces of the four fragments of Figure 5I, J, L and M, as preserved in view of conjunction in situ. Scale bars: 20 mm.