Pricemys caiera, Gaffney & Meylan & Wood & Simons & De Almeida Campos, 2011

Gaffney, Eugene S., Meylan, Peter A., Wood, Roger C., Simons, Elwyn & De Almeida Campos, Diogenes, 2011, Evolution Of The Side-Necked Turtles: The Family Podocnemididae, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (350), pp. 1-237 : 26-27

Pricemys caiera , n. gen. et sp.

TYPE SPECIMEN: MCT 1498-R, a braincase (figs. 28, 29), left quadrate-squamosal (figs. 32, 33), and right maxilla-jugal (figs. 30, 31). The quadrate piece articulates with the braincase but the maxilla piece has no contacts with the rest of the skull. The braincase consists of the right quadrate, the medial part of the right squamosal, both prootics, both opisthotics (the left one is incomplete posteriorly), the supraoccipital, and most of both parietals. The lateral edges of both parietals, however, are incomplete. The right one is separated from the quadrate by matrix, but the left one shows the posterior part of the quadratojugal contact when articulated with the left quadratojugalsquamosal piece. MCT 1498-R preserves both exoccipitals, the basioccipital, and the basisphenoid. The pterygoids are present but lacking their anterolateral areas, the processus trochlearis pterygoidei and pterygoid flange in particular, but also the palatine contact. This specimen has been prepared with only the matrix supporting the remaining portions of skull roof. The internal structures of the cavum cranii, cavum acustico-jugulare, cavum acusticum, and cavum pterygoidei, are all visible and well preserved. The left stapes is preserved in situ.

The left quadrate-squamosal piece (figs. 32, 33) of MCT 1498-R preserves nearly all of the squamosal. The quadrate is complete in the area of the cavum tympani, but its medial contacts with the braincase piece have been lost. The skull appears to have been slightly damaged by dorsoventral compression, although not deformed just broken along the parietal and quadrate contact areas. A fragment of stapes remains in the incisura columellae auris.

The right maxilla-jugal piece of MCT 1498-R (figs. 30, 31) preserves the maxilla from the premaxilla contact to the jugal. The labial ridge is broken except for a short section under the orbit, which gives the depth of the ridge. The dorsal process of the maxilla appears to end at the prefrontal contact. The lateral section of the palatine is also preserved where it forms part of the triturating surface and enters the floor of the fossa orbitalis. The jugal is preserved anteriorly, but its dorsal and posterior margins are broken edges. The anteroventral margin is natural and shows the depth of the cheek emargination.

TYPE LOCALITY: Caiera Quarry , near village of Peirópolis, near city of Uberaba, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Collected in 1958 from base of Serra do Veadinha that yielded Peiropemys and MCT 1499-R, a large, nearly complete, shell in DNPM. See locality discussion under Peiropemys mezzalirai , n. gen. et sp., for more information.

HORIZON: Serra da Galga Member, Marília Fm. (see Candeiro, 2009, and references).

DIAGNOSIS: As for genus.

ETYMOLOGY: For locality of Caiera, near village of Peirópolis, near city of Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

REFERRED MATERIAL: It is likely that an uncataloged DGM dentary (fig. 34) belongs to this species, as it fits well into, and is the same size as, the MCT 1498-R maxilla-jugal piece.

It is possible that the shell taxon referred to here as Peirópolis A (see Shell Morphology below) belongs to Pricemys . Peirópolis A is represented by a large number of disarticulated shell bones (figs. 91–93, 95–97), mostly complete single bones but not associated or articulated with others, collected mostly during the DNPM expeditions of 1949, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, and 1961. Included with these are three articulat- ed specimens: (a) DGM Peirópolis 321, a complete plastron, at least some carapace, and some cervical parts, all disarticulated. The plastron of 321 is in a drawer labeled: ‘‘Desmonte 1967 Peirópolis Mun. Uberaba’’; (b) MCT 1499-R (fig. 91B), a large shell with most of the carapace, the plastron, pelvis, and first thoracic present. From Peirópolis, Caiera Quarry , locality #1, the classic Peirópolis locality at lime plant, Bauru Fm., it is prepared with the plastron side up, the carapace is unprepared, and some of the anterior lobe is separate; (c) another Peirópolis shell, collected by Langerton, has a thickened dorsal lip of the epiplastra, which appears to be characteristic of Peirópolis A.

PREVIOUS WORK: Probably referred to in Broin (1991: 515).

DISCUSSION: Our resolution of this species is ( Peiropemys ( Pricemys , Lapparentemys )). It differs from its contemporary in the Caiera Quarry , Peiropemys , in a series of characters listed in table 2.

Infrafamily Podocnemidodda Cope, 1868 , new rank

DIAGNOSIS: Members of the subfamily Podocnemidinae ; medial expansion of triturating surface with median maxillary ridge; accessory ridges present.

INCLUDED TAXA: Podocnemis Wagler, 1830 ; Peltocephalus Duméril and Bibron, 1835 ; Erymnochelys Baur, 1888 ; Bairdemys Gaffney and Wood, 2002 ; Dacquemys Williams, 1954c ; Neochelys Bergounioux, 1954 ; Shweboemys Swinton, 1939 ; Stereogenys Andrews, 1901 ; Caninemys Meylan, Gaffney, and Campos, 2009 ; Turkanemys Wood, 2003 ; Neochelys Bergounioux, 1954 ; Papoulemys Tong, 1998 ; Mogharemys , n. gen.; Cordichelys , n. gen.; Latentemys , n. gen.; Brontochelys , n. gen.; Albertwoodemys , n. gen.; Lemurchelys , n. gen.

Magnatribe Podocnemidand Cope, 1868, new rank

DIAGNOSIS: Same as for Podocnemis .

INCLUDED TAXA: Podocnemis Wagler, 1830 .

DISCUSSION: The category magnatribe is created here to reflect the cladogram. We use the Latinized ending - and.