Kurmademys

GAFFNEY, EUGENE S., MOODY, RICHARD T. J. & WALKER, CYRIL A., 2001, Kurmademys, a New Side-Necked Turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of India, American Museum Novitates 3320, pp. 1-16 : 15-16

Kurmademys is a pleurodire because it has ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

these synapomorphies of the group listed by We wish to thank our associates in pleu­ Gaffney and Meylan ( 1988) as diagnostic for rodiran studies, P. Meylan, H. Tong, and R. the Pleurodira : (1) processus trochlearis pter­ Wood, for their support and counsel on this ygoidei present, (2) quadrate process below ongoing project. Ed Heck did the photogracranio­quadrate space, (3) epipterygoid ab­ phy and illustrations with his customary exsent, (4) foramen palatinum posterius behind cellence. We particularly appreciate the help orbit, and (5) pelvis suturally attached to car­ of Judy Galkin in the preparation of the paapace and plastron (based on shell material per. from same locality ascribed to Kurmademys ). S. L. Jain and A. Sahni provided infor­ It is a member of the Pelomedusoides (sensu mation and access to specimens, which we Broin, 1988; Meylan, 1996; Lapparent de greatly appreciate. We thank the Indian Sta­ Broin and Werner, 1998; Tong et al., 1998), tistical Institute for field logistics and supwhich is equivalent to the Pelomedusidae in port, permission to study the specimens, and the classical sense (sensu Gaffney and Mey­ the National Geographic Society for funding lan, 1988) because it has these characters: (1) this project. nasals absent, (2) prefrontals meeting on midline, and (3) splenial absent (based on REFERENCES lower jaws from same locality ascribed to Kurmademys ). Kurmademys can be identified Antunes, M. T., and F. de Broin as a member of the family Bothremydidae 1988. Le Crétacé terminal de Beira Litoral, based on its possession of the following char­ Portugal: remarques stratigraphiques et acters: (1) exoccipital­quadrate contact, (2) écologiques, étude complémentaire de incisura columellae auris closed by bone, and Rosasia soutoi (Chelonii, Bothremydi­ dae). Ciênc. Terra 9: 153–200.

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