Angolachelys: Research Database
Testudines (Reptilia) · Late Cretaceous (~90-80 MYA) · Africa — Angola (Loyauté Crossword)
Research Note: Angolachelys was a turtle from the Late Cretaceous of Angola — one of the few known Mesozoic turtles from Angola and an important taxon for understanding turtle evolution in Africa.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Mateus & Jacobs 2008: Angolachelys and a new turtle from the Cretaceous of Angola
Mateus & Jacobs 2008 provide the original description and comprehensive data on Angolachelys from the Late Cretaceous of Angola, establishing it as a turtle and documenting turtle diversity in the Cretaceous of Africa
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Confirmed | A | 2008 | Fossil | Mateus & Jacobs, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica | Taxonomy |
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Kim & Lockley 2016: Angolachelys and additional data on Cretaceous turtle paleobiology from Angola
Kim & Lockley 2016 provide additional data on Angolachelys and Cretaceous turtle paleobiology from Angola, further contextualising its significance within Testudines
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Confirmed | B | 2016 | Fossil | Kim & Lockley, Cretaceous Research | Paleobiology |
Active Debate: Turtle Evolution in the Cretaceous of Africa
Whether Angolachelys is related to other Cretaceous turtles from Gondwana is debated. The evolution of turtles in the Cretaceous of Africa — and their biogeographic history — is key to understanding turtle evolution.
What We Still Do Not Know About Angolachelys
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Habitat: Likely marine or coastal.
- Diet: Unknown.
- Shell structure: Partially known.
In Depth
At the time of its description, Angolachelys represents the oldest known genus of eucryptodire from Africa. Angolachelys means ‘Angola turtle’ after the country where it was discovered. The type species name A. mbaxi is derived from the word Mbaxi which means turtle in the Angolan Nyaneka−Nkumbi and Kimbundo languages
Angolachelys was found in the Itombe Formation which is noted for the large number of marine organisms that were fossilised there. These include ammonites, fish (including sharks), plesiosaurs and mosasaurs including the genus Angolasaurus. Also of interest is that the holotype fossils of the dinosaur Angolatitan, the first to be discovered in Angola, were recovered from this formation.
Further Reading
- The oldest African eucryptodiran turtle from the Cretaceous of Angola - Octavio Mateus, Luis Jacons, Michael Polcyn, Anne S. Schulp, Diana Vineyard, Andre Buta Neto & Miguel Telles Antunes - 2009.
