Chelus
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| Chelus Temporal range:
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|---|---|
| File:2009 Chelus fimbriatus.JPG | |
| Chelus fimbriatus | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Pleurodira |
| Family: | Chelidae |
| Subfamily: | Chelinae |
| Genus: | Chelus Duméril, 1805[2] |
Chelus is a genus of large freshwater turtles found in tropical South America. Formerly considered to be a monotypic genus,[3] it now consists of two extant species after Chelus orinocensis was identified in 2020 from a genetic analysis.[4]
Evolution
[edit | edit source]Fossils of the extinct †C. colombianus have been found in Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil, including a skull dating to the early Miocene (~ 16 m.y.) of the Castilletes Formation, Cocinetas Basin, in Colombia. The fossil shows that the skull morphology of Chelus has been almost unchanged since the Miocene.[5][6]
Species
[edit | edit source]There are two extant recognized species in this genus[3][7] and one extinct species:[1]
- Chelus fimbriatus – Amazon mata mata
- Chelus orinocensis – Orinoco mata mata
- †Chelus colombianus – Columbian mata mata (Early-Late Miocene)[8][6]
References
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- ^ Duméril, A.M.C. 1805. Zoologie Analytique, ou Méthode Naturelle de Classification des Animaux. Paris: Perronneau, 344 pp.
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- ^ Chelus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 16 April 2024.
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