''Sindhochelys'' is a genus of extinct

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 ...

of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Bothremydidae Bothremydidae is an extinct family of side-necked turtles (Pleurodira) known from the Cretaceous and Cenozoic. They are closely related to Podocnemididae, and are amongst the most widely distributed pleurodire groups, with their fossils having b ...

. It lived during the early

Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek ''pal ...

in what is known Sindh,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. The genus was discovered in the Khadro Formation and named in December 2021. The genus represents the first known member of its family in Pakistan. The family Bothremydidae lived from the Cenomanian of the early

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 ...

to the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

epoch.

Discovery

The turtle was discovered in the Paleogene aged Khadro Formation, which is located near the

Ranikot Fort Ranikot Fort ( sd, راڻي ڪوٽ) (also known as Rannikot) is a historical Talpur fort near Sann, Jamshoro District, Sindh. in Pakistan .Ranikot Fort is also known as The Great Wall of Sindh and is believed to be the world's largest fort, wit ...

area of Pakistan. The formation also contains the remains of the giant snake Gigantophis which was discovered in 1901 by

Charles William Andrews Charles William Andrews (30 October 1866 – 25 May 1924) F.R.S., was a British palaeontologist whose career as a vertebrate paleontologist, both as a curator and in the field, was spent in the services of the British Museum, Department of Ge ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q110235809, from2= Bothremydidae Paleocene turtles Fossil taxa described in 2021