Bairdemys, GAFFNEY & TONG & MEYLAN, 2002

GAFFNEY, EUGENE S., TONG, HAIYAN & MEYLAN, PETER A., 2002, Bairdemys, a New Side-Necked Turtle (Pelomedusoides: Podocnemididae) from the Miocene of the Caribbean, American Museum Novitates 3359, pp. 1-28 : 2-4

BAIRDEMYS , new genus

TYPE SPECIES: Bairdemys hartsteini , new species .

DISTRIBUTION: Miocene of Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

DIAGNOSIS: A Shweboemys Group Pelomedusoides (sensu Meylan, 1996) known from skull and shell; secondary palate shorter than in all Shweboemys Group except ‘‘Shweboemys’’ gaffneyi; medial edges of palatal cleft curved as in ‘‘Shweboemys’’ gaffneyi; ventral convexity on triturating surface larger than in all other Shweboemys Group; eustachian tube separated by bone from rest of fenestra postotica in contrast to all known Podocnemididae ; antrum postoticum extremely small and slitlike in contrast to all other Shweboemys Group; frontal and prefrontal strongly convex on dorsal surface in contrast to all other Shweboemys Group; basisphenoid separated from palatines by medially meeting pterygoids as in ‘‘Shweboemys’’ antiqua ; basioccipital longer than in Shweboemys pilgrimi ; jugal­pterygoid contact prevents palatine­parietal contact.

INCLUDED SPECIES: Bairdemys venezuelensis ( Wood and Díaz de Gamero, 1971) , Bairdemys hartsteini , new species (see table 1 for comparisons).

ETYMOLOGY: The genus name is in honor of Dr. Donald Baird, a student of fossil turtles and other reptiles, who spent most of his career at Princeton University, and was an

TABLE 1 Comparison of Bairdemys species

inspiring mentor of both authors. Don is active in many areas of vertebrate paleontology and fossil reptile research and has influenced many young people in paleontology. In 1964, when one of the authors, Gene Gaffney, was a senior at Rutgers University, Don was directly responsible for introducing Gene to fossil turtles. Roger Wood, the other author, as a Princeton undergraduate was also influenced by Don in entering paleontology.