Chelus
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Chelus is a genus of large freshwater turtles found in tropical South America. Formerly considered to be a monotypic genus,[1] it now consists of two extant species after Chelus orinocensis was identified in 2020 from a genetic analysis.[2]
Evolution
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.[3][4]
Species
There are two extant recognized species in this genus[1][5] and one extinct species:[6]
- Chelus fimbriatus – Amazon mata mata
- Chelus orinocensis – Orinoco mata mata
- †Chelus colombianus – Columbian mata mata (Early-Late Miocene)[7][4]
References
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- ↑ Chelus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 16 April 2024.
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