''Zolhafah'' is an extinct genus of

bothremydid 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 be ...

pleurodiran The Pleurodira are one of the two living suborders of turtles, the other being the Cryptodira. The division between these two suborders represents a very deep evolutionary divide between two very different types of turtles. The physical differen ...

turtle that was discovered in the Western Desert of Egypt. The genus consists solely of type species ''Z. bella''.

Discovery

''Zolhafah'' was discovered in the Ammonite Hill Member of the

Dakhla Formation The Dakhla Formation is a Maastrichtian- Danian geologic formation Formation may refer to: Linguistics * Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes * Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affi ...

, Egypt, which dates back to the Maastrichtian.

Description

The preserved skull of ''Zolhafah'' is 7.2 centimetres in length. Its describers note that it differs from '' Bothremys'' and ''

Rosasia ''Rosasia'' is an extinct genus of bothremydid pleurodiran turtle that was discovered in the Argilas de Aveiro Formation of Portugal. The genus consists of a single species, ''R. soutoi'', named after Alberto Souto. Description ''Rosasia'' i ...

'' by its slightly more rounded snout, with the posterior section of the skull being shortened. Similar to ''Bothremys'', its choanae are at the same level as the triturating surface of the palate. It also differs from ''Bothremys'' and ''Rosasia'' by many small details, such as a frontal longer than its prefrontal, elongated orbits smaller than those of ''Rosasia'' and larger than those of ''Bothremys, and a higher anterior premaxillary surface. The occipital condyle is slightly posterior to the quadrate's articular process, similar to ''Rosasia'' and ''Bothremys''. The skull is the only element from the Ammonite Hills locality that can be positively assigned to ''Zolhafah''.

Etymology

The etymology of ''Zolhafahs name is derived from the Arabic ''salifhafa'' "turtle", and the Latin ''bella'' "beautiful".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q105042300 Prehistoric turtle genera Cretaceous turtles Fossils of Egypt Bothremydidae Maastrichtian life Fossil taxa described in 1998 Monotypic turtle genera Western Desert (Egypt)