''Nanhsiungchelys'' ( or) is a
trionychoid turtle
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...
from the Upper
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...
of
Nanhsiung,
China.
Its genus is derived from the location where it was found,
Nanhsiung and the greek word "χελωνα" (chelona), which means turtle. Therefore, ''Nanhsiungchelys'' means "turtle from Nanxiong".
''Nanhsiungchelys'' has been found in rocks dating to the
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian () is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the latest age (uppermost stage) of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or Upper Cretaceous Series, the Cretaceous Period or System, and of the Mesozoic Era or Erathem. It spanned the interval ...
of
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
and
North America.
References
Nanhsiungchelyidae
Late Cretaceous turtles of Asia
Fossil taxa described in 1966
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