Euclastes is an extinct genus of sea turtles that survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction. The genus was first named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1867, and contains three species. E. hutchisoni, was named in 2003 but has since been reassigned to the genus Pacifichelys, while E. coahuilaensis named in 2009 was reassigned as Mexichelys coahuilaensis in 2010.Euclastes coahuilaensis from the Paleobiology DatabaseExibidos fósseis de tartarugas com 72 mi de anos
Description
Unlike the sea turtles Toxochelys and Eochelone, Euclastes has a secondary palate. However, the secondary palate of Euclastes is not as extensive as it is in Ctenochelys and Angolachelys. The genus can be distinguished by later sea turtles based on its broad, low skull; broad, flat palate; wide, flat dentary bone with an elongated symphysis; and low tomial ridge on the beak. The widened palate and dentaries give Eochelone wide, flat jaws suitable for crushing hard-shelled organisms.
Classification Species †E. acutirostris †E. montenati †E. platyops †E. wielandi
Phylogeny Cladogram based on Lynch and Parham (2003) and Parham and Pyenson (2010):
Distribution Fossils of Euclastes have been found in:Euclastes at Fossilworks.org
Maastrichtian Bentiaba, AngolaMateus, O., M. J. Polcyn, L. L. Jacobs, R. Arujo, A. S. Schulp, J. Marinheiro, B. Pereira and D. Vineyard. 2012. Cretaceous amniotes from Angola: dinosaurs, pterosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, turtles. Actas de V Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontologia de Dinosaurios y su Entorno, Salas de los Infantes, Burgos 71-105 Quiriquina Formation, Chile Hornerstown and Navesink Formations, New Jersey
Paleocene Jagüel and Roca Formations, Argentina Bracheux Formation, France Aquia and Brightseat Formations, Maryland Sidi Chennane and Couche 2 Formation, Morocco
Eocene Parkers Ferry Formation, South Carolina
References
External links www.scistp.org