Carettochelyidae

Carettochelyidae is a family of cryptodiran turtles belonging to the Trionychia. It contains only a single living species, the pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) native to New Guinea and Northern Australia. Stem-group carettochelyids are known from the Cretaceous of Asia, with the family being widely distributed across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa during much of the Cenozoic.

Taxonomy

After Joyce, 2014 unless otherwise noted.

• Carettochelyidae sensu Kim et al. 2025 (also known Pan-Carettochelys Joyce, Parham and Gauthier 2004)
  • Byeoljubuchelys Kim et al., 2025
    • Byeoljubuchelys yeosuensis Kim et al., 2025 Hasandong Formation, South Korea, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
  • Kizylkumemys Nessov, 1976
    • Kizylkumemys khoratensis Tong et al., 2005 Khok Kruat Formation, Thailand, Early Cretaceous (Aptian)
    • Kizylkumemys schultzi Nessov, 1976 Khodzhakul Formation, Uzbekistan, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
  • Indeterminate fragments of stem-carettochelyids are also known from the Cenomanian aged Bayan Shireh Formation, Mongolia, which were originally assigned to "Anosteira" shuwalovi Chkhikvadze in Shuvalov and Chkhikvadze, 1979, which Joyce 2014 regarded as a nomen dubium.
  • Carettochelyidae Gill, 1889 sensu Joyce 2014.
    • Anosteira Leidy, 1871
      • Anosteira manchuriana Zangerl, 1947 Liaoning, China, late Eocene
      • Anosteira maomingensis Chow and Liu, 1955 Youkanwo Formation, Guangdong, China, Late Eocene
      • Anosteira mongoliensis Gilmore, 1931 Inner Mongolia, China, Late Eocene-Oligocene
      • Anosteira ornata Leidy, 1871 Bridger Formation, Wyoming, USA, Early Eocene
      • Anosteira pulchra (Clark, 1932) Uinta Formation, Utah, USA, Middle Eocene (Lutetian)
    • Chorlakkichelys shahi De Broin, 1987 from the Early Eocene (Lutetian) aged Kuldana Formation, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan was considered to be a nomem dubium and an indeterminate carettochelyid by Joyce, 2014, due to the fragmentary and heavily eroded nature of the specimens.
    • Carettochelyinae Williams, 1950
      • Allaeochelys Noulet, 1867
        • Allaeochelys crassesculpta (Harrassowitz, 1922) Messel Pit, Germany, Early Eocene
        • Allaeochelys delheidi (Dollo, 1886) Brussels Formation, Belgium, Zamora, Spain, Early Eocene Headon Hill Formation, England, Late Eocene (Priabonian)
        • Allaeochelys libyca Havlik et al, 2014, Al Wahat District, Libya, middle Miocene (Langhian)
        • Allaeochelys lingnanica (Young and Chow, 1962) Shaoguan, Guangdong, China early Paleogene (possibly Paleocene)
        • Allaeochelys magnifica (=Burmemys magnifica Hutchison et al., 2004) Pandaung Formation, Myanmar, Late Eocene (Bartonian)
        • Allaeochelys parayrei Noulet, 1867 Tarn, Toulouse, France, Late Eocene (Bartonian)
        • Allaeochelys liliae Carbot-Chanona et al. 2020 Mazantic Shale, Chiapas, Mexico, Early Miocene (Aquitanian)
      • Carettochelys Ramsay, 1886
        • Carettochelys insculpta Ramsay, 1886 Northern Australia, New Guinea, Recent
        • Carettochelys niahensis White et al. 2023 Borneo, Neogene
      • Indeterminate carettochelyids are also known from the uppermost Miocene to lowermost Pliocene of Victoria, Australia, As well as the Upper Miocene of New Guinea.

Cladogram after Kim et al. 2025.