Is There Any Way?

[Foshunter]

I have two different pieces of turtle shell found in the Cretaceous Ozan Formation of the North Sulphur River. I have looked in Oceans of Kansas, as they have comprehensive photos of turtles. Need help from any one that is turtle literate for a little help----Tom

[RichW9090]

The first is a part of the carapace with parts of 3 costals and 3 neurals. The vermiculate surface sculpture is distinctive and that piece should be identifiable.

I just can't remember which turtle has that distinctive sculpture.

The second piece appears to be a peripheral immediately adjacent to the bridge, but I can't tell which end of the birdge from the photographs. I'd look at Taphrosphys first, but that is just a hunch not based on any definite character.

[piranha]

There are a lot of late Cretaceous Texas turtles from a quick search of the literature. Here is a LINK to an excellent 200 page PhD thesis on some of the Brewster County turtles. A google scholar search also turns up quite a few open-access papers on similar age (Campanian) turtles from Texas. Great finds!

[RichW9090]

That was a helpful reference, Piranha. I'd say that the first fragment is Taphrosphys - the vermiculate grooves don't appear in a reticulated pattern, but rather all tend to be more-or-less parallel. So perhaps both pieces are Taphrosphys.

Rich

Edited May 25, 2013 by RichW9090