Hyperphalangy in a new sinemydid turtle from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota

Abstract

Hyperphalangy is a rare condition in extant aquatic turtles, and mainly limited to soft-shelled turtles. Here we report a new freshwater turtle, <i>Jeholochelys lingyuanensis</i> gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of western Liaoning, China. This new turtle is characterized by a hyperphalangy condition with one additional phalanx in pedal digit V, rather than the primitive condition (phalangeal formula: 2-3-3-3-3) of crown turtles. <i>J. lingyuanensis</i> is recovered with other coexisting turtles in the family Sinemydidae in the phylogenetic analysis. This discovery further confirms that hyperphalangy occurred multiple times in the early evolutionary history of the crown turtles. Hyperphalangy is possibly a homoplasy in <i>Jeholochelys</i> and the soft-shelled turtles to adapt to the aquatic environments.