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''Bothremys'' is an extinct genus of
bothremydid Bothremydidae is an extinct family of side-necked turtles (Pleurodira) known from the Cretaceous and Cenozoic. They are closely related to Podocnemididae, and are amongst the most widely distributed pleurodire groups, with their fossils having be ...
pleurodiran The Pleurodira are one of the two living suborders of turtles, the other being the Cryptodira. The division between these two suborders represents a very deep evolutionary divide between two very different types of turtles. The physical differen ...
turtle that was discovered near Gloucester, New Jersey.Leidy, J., 1865 "Cretaceous reptiles of the United States." Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge 192:1-135 https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.39830 The genus consists of type species ''B. cooki'', ''B. arabicus'', ''B. kellyi'', and ''B. maghrebiana''.


Discovery

The holotype of ''Bothremys'' was discovered in the greensand formations near Gloucester Township, New Jersey. It consists of a partially-complete skull and a lower jaw.


Description

In Leidy's 1865 description, he notes that the skull lacks the auditory passages, zygomatic arches, and some other minor bones. The lower jaw completely lacks the condyloid joint, which had apparently been destroyed. The top of the skull is nearly flat, with a slight forward incline. The orbits are relatively small, facing outwards and forwards. A deep conical pit occupies each maxilla, which led Leidy to suggest the presence of a tooth-like protuberance. The orbit are separated from the temporal process by a bony "wall" composed of sections of several different skull bones.


References

Prehistoric turtle genera Late Cretaceous turtles of North America Bothremydidae Maastrichtian life Paleocene turtles Fossil taxa described in 1865 {{paleo-turtle-stub