Inaechelys pernambucensis, Carvalho, Anny Rafaela De Araújo, Ghilardi, Aline Marcele & Barreto, Alcina Magnólia Franca, 2016

Carvalho, Anny Rafaela De Araújo, Ghilardi, Aline Marcele & Barreto, Alcina Magnólia Franca, 2016, A new side-neck turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Early Paleocene (Danian) Maria Farinha Formation, Paraíba Basin, Brazil, Zootaxa 4126 (4), pp. 491-513 : 495

Inaechelys pernambucensis , new species

Etymology. The generic name Inae is a variant of ‘Yemanja’, deity of the sea in many African cults, introduced to Brazil during slavery; chelys is from "turtle". The specific epithet pernambucensis refers to state of Pernambuco, where the fossil was found.

Holotype: DGEO-CTG-UFPE 6171—partial pelvis with left ilium and pubis articulated; DGEO-CTG-UFPE 6172—costal plate; DGEO-CTG-UFPE 6173—costal plate; and DGEO-CTG-UFPE 6174—almost complete plastron associated with two dermal plates of the carapace.

Type locality and age: Poty Quarry, located in the region of Paulista (07°59 'S, 34°51' W), north of Recife, Pernambuco state; Maria Farinha Formation, Paraíba Basin; Early Paleocene (Danian; Albertão et al., 1994).

Diagnosis. Medium to large sized Pelomedusoides with plastron consisting on 11 bones; pubic scar in the xiphiplastron, as usual in Pleurodira; anterior lobe of the plastron short and wide at its base, with the pectoroabdominal groove in front of the mesoplastron, as in all the Bothremydidae . The humeropectoral sulcus does not contact the entoplastron or the epiplastron; the interfemoral dermal groove is longer than the dermal intraabdominal groove; and the plate sutures are highly serrated. Inaechelys pernambucensis differs from Rosasia soutoi by the following set of features: Inaechelys presents pentagonal shaped entoplastron, straight contour of anterior lobe cranial margin, abdominal shield midline notably smaller than the femoral shield midline and contact between plastron plates strongly serrated.