Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene turtles of the Denver Basin, Colorado

Abstract

Research Article| January 01, 2003 Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene turtles of the Denver Basin, Colorado J. Howard Hutchison; J. Howard Hutchison Museum of Paleontology, 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, U.S.A. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Patricia A. Holroyd Patricia A. Holroyd * Museum of Paleontology, 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, U.S.A. *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: pholroyd@uclink4.berkeley.edu. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information J. Howard Hutchison Museum of Paleontology, 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, U.S.A. Patricia A. Holroyd * Museum of Paleontology, 1101 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-4780, U.S.A. *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: pholroyd@uclink4.berkeley.edu. Publisher: University of Wyoming Received: 24 Feb 2002 Revision Received: 08 Nov 2002 Accepted: 02 Feb 2003 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Online Issn: 1555-7340 Print Issn: 1555-7332 UW Department of Geology and Geophysics Rocky Mountain Geology (2003) 38 (1): 121–142. https://doi.org/10.2113/gsrocky.38.1.121 Article history Received: 24 Feb 2002 Revision Received: 08 Nov 2002 Accepted: 02 Feb 2003 First Online: 03 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation J. Howard Hutchison, Patricia A. Holroyd; Late Cretaceous and early Paleocene turtles of the Denver Basin, Colorado. Rocky Mountain Geology 2003;; 38 (1): 121–142. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gsrocky.38.1.121 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyRocky Mountain Geology Search Advanced Search Abstract The record of turtles in the Denver Basin spans four formations (Fox Hills, Laramie, Arapahoe, and Denver) that range from Late Cretaceous (Lancian) to early Paleocene (Puercan) in age. We recognize at least fifteen distinct, although fragmentary, species-level taxa, including Pleurosternidae (Compsemys), Baenidae (Neurankylus, Plesiobaena, Stygiochelys, and Palatobaena), Kinosternia (Hoplochelys), Adocidae (Adocus), Nanhsiungchelyidae (Basilemys), Trionychidae (Axestemys, Aspideretoides, Helopanoplia, and another plastomenine), Macrobaenidae, and Chelydridae. Notable among these are the best-preserved skull of Compsemys, a new chelydrid genus, the most northerly confirmed record of Hoplochelys, and the most southerly records of Helopanoplia, Stygiochelys, and Macrobaenidae in the Rocky Mountain region. We also present evidence for synonymy of Paleotrionyx and Conchochelys with Axestemys, and the first cranial material assignable to Axestemys. The early Paleocene (Puercan) part of the Denver Formation yielded the most diverse assemblage, followed by the Cretaceous (Lancian) part of the Denver Formation and Laramie Formation. The Cretaceous samples are not demonstrably different from more northerly comparable faunas, but the more diverse Paleocene part of the Denver Formation exhibits a unique combination of taxa compared to contemporaneous faunas to the north and south. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.