''Elseya'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of large side-necked

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked ...

s, commonly known as Australian snapping turtles, in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Chelidae Chelidae is one of three living families of the turtle suborder Pleurodira, and are commonly called Austro-South American side-neck turtles. The family is distributed in Australia, New Guinea, parts of Indonesia, and throughout most of South Ame ...

Species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

in the genus ''Elseya'' are found in river systems in northern and northeastern Australia and throughout the river systems of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

. Thomson S, Georges A, Limpus C (2006). "A New Species of Freshwater Turtle in the Genus ''Elseya'' (Testudines: Chelidae) from Central Coastal Queensland, Australia". '' Chelon. Conserv. Biol.'' 5 (1): 74–86
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They are identified by the presence of alveolar ridges on the triturating surfaces of the mouth and the presence of a complex bridge strut.Thomson S, White A, Georges A (1997). "Re-Evaluation of ''Emydura lavarackorum'': Identification of a Living Fossil". ''Memoirs of the Queensland Museum'' 42 (1): 327-336. The Australian snapping turtles are largely

herbivorous A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

, with specialized mouth structures for eating fruits. However, they will eat animal products if opportunity arises. The various species can be found in large numbers where they are still abundant, e.g.,

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

of Australia. However, a number of the populations have become increasingly rare, and some are now listed as endangered.

Systematics

Etymology

John Edward Gray John Edward Gray, Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (12 February 1800 – 7 March 1875) was a British zoology, zoologist. He was the elder brother of zoologist George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ...

created the

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

name, ''Elseya'', in 1867 in honour of Dr. Joseph Ravenscroft Elsey, a surgeon- naturalist on the Gregory Expedition that traversed northern Australia from the Victoria River to

Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia from central Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are ...

in 1855–1856.

List of species

The genus was originally described by Gray in 1867 with the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...

being set as ''Elseya dentata''. The fossil genus ''Pelocomastes'' was later synonymised with this genus. Following the recent revisions of this genus, the ''latisternum'' group has been moved to the new genus ''

Myuchelys The ''Myuchelys'' is a genus of turtles, the Australian saw-shelled turtles, in the family Chelidae and subfamily Chelodininae. They inhabit the headwaters and tributaries of rivers within their range and this led to the name ''Myuchelys'', whic ...

''. The remaining species of this genus have additionally been separated into three subgenera, ''Elseya'', ''Pelocomastes'', and ''Hanwarachelys'', and the species redistributed among them.Thomson S, Amepou Y, Anamiato J, Georges A (2015). "A new species and subgenus of ''Elseya'' (Testudines: Pleurodira: Chelidae) from New Guinea". ''Zootaxa'' 4006 (1): 59-82
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Extinct species

There are two identified extinct species of Elseya. ''

Elseya nadibajagu ''Elseya nadibajagu'' is a Pliocene species of extinct Australian snapping turtle, described from the Bluff Downs region of Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Q ...

'' and ''

Elseya uberrima ''Elseya uberrima'' is a Pliocene species of extinct Australian snapping turtle. Taxonomy During his time at the Queensland Museum, Charles Walter De Vis described a number of fossil turtles from the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Austr ...

'' De Vis CW (1897). "The extinct freshwater turtles of Queensland". ''Annals of the Queensland Museum'' 3: 3-7. are prehistoric species known only from

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s. ''E. lavarackorum'' was initially believed also to be a fossil taxon, but later discovered to be still

extant Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...

. ''Elseya nadibajagu'' is a

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of extinct Australian snapping turtle, described from the

Bluff Downs The Bluff Downs fossil site is a paleontological site of Pliocene age in northern Queensland, Australia. It is one of the most significant fossil sites of Pliocene age in Australia due to its unique fauna and specific dating. The fossil site lie ...

region of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia.; whereas ''Elseya uberrima'' is an

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the '' Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed ...

species described from the

Darling Downs The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was generally ...

region of

, Australia.Thomson SA. 2000. A Revision of the Fossil Chelid Turtles (Pleurodira) Described by C.W. De Vis, 1897. ''Memoirs of the Queensland Museum'' 45 (2): 593-598. (Brisbane).

Notes

References

External links and further reading

Gondwanan Turtle Site
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2708967 Turtle genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray Taxonomy articles created by Polbot