First chelonian eggs and carapace fragments from the Pliocene of Rhodes, Greece

Inken J. Mueller-Töwe; Tina A. Kjeldahl-Vallon; Jesper Milàn; Lothar H. Vallon; Georgios Theodorou; Johan Lindgren; Socrates J. Roussiakis; Richard Granville Bromley

doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0201

First chelonian eggs and carapace fragments from the Pliocene of Rhodes, Greece

Inken J. Mueller-Töwe, Tina A. Kjeldahl-Vallon, Jesper Milàn, Lothar H. Vallon, Georgios Theodorou, Johan Lindgren, Socrates J. Roussiakis, Richard Granville Bromley

Geologi

7 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

Well-preserved fossil eggs and eggshell fragments from the Pliocene Apolakkia Formation of Rhodes (Greece) are described. The eggs were found in-situ in a clutch. They are sub-spherical with lengths of 53-60 mm and widths of about 40 mm. All eggs are diagenetically compressed and their original diameters are estimated at 45-50 mm. The eggshells are 0.3-0.5 mm thick, partly recrystallized, but widely still aragonitic. They consist of needle-like crystals that form individual shell units. A few pores are preserved between these shell units. This shell-structure allows assignment to chelonian eggs in the oofamily Testudoolithidae and the oogenus Testudolithus. The external morphology, microstructure and mineralogical composition of the eggshells show close resemblance to eggs of the extant tortoise Geochelone elephantopus. Together with a small association of turtle carapace fragments from the same formation, the clutch represents the first discovery of turtle and reptilian remains from the Pliocene of the island of Rhodes.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie
Vol/bind	262
Udgave nummer	3
Sider (fra-til)	309-322
Antal sider	14
ISSN	0077-7749
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0201
Status	Udgivet - dec. 2011

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10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0201

First chelonian eggs and carapace fragments from the Pliocene of Rhodes, GreeceForlagets udgivne version, 1,04 MB

Citationsformater

@article{2e1d092eb3bd47cb9bae404a8ff8b992,

title = "First chelonian eggs and carapace fragments from the Pliocene of Rhodes, Greece",

abstract = "Well-preserved fossil eggs and eggshell fragments from the Pliocene Apolakkia Formation of Rhodes (Greece) are described. The eggs were found in-situ in a clutch. They are sub-spherical with lengths of 53-60 mm and widths of about 40 mm. All eggs are diagenetically compressed and their original diameters are estimated at 45-50 mm. The eggshells are 0.3-0.5 mm thick, partly recrystallized, but widely still aragonitic. They consist of needle-like crystals that form individual shell units. A few pores are preserved between these shell units. This shell-structure allows assignment to chelonian eggs in the oofamily Testudoolithidae and the oogenus Testudolithus. The external morphology, microstructure and mineralogical composition of the eggshells show close resemblance to eggs of the extant tortoise Geochelone elephantopus. Together with a small association of turtle carapace fragments from the same formation, the clutch represents the first discovery of turtle and reptilian remains from the Pliocene of the island of Rhodes.",

author = "Mueller-T{\"o}we, {Inken J.} and Kjeldahl-Vallon, {Tina A.} and Jesper Mil{\`a}n and Vallon, {Lothar H.} and Georgios Theodorou and Johan Lindgren and Roussiakis, {Socrates J.} and Bromley, {Richard Granville}",

year = "2011",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0201",

language = "English",

volume = "262",

pages = "309--322",

journal = "Neues Jahrbuch f{\"u}r Geologie und Pal{\"a}ontologie",

issn = "0077-7749",

publisher = "Schweizerbart Science Publishers",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - First chelonian eggs and carapace fragments from the Pliocene of Rhodes, Greece

AU - Mueller-Töwe, Inken J.

AU - Kjeldahl-Vallon, Tina A.

AU - Milàn, Jesper

AU - Vallon, Lothar H.

AU - Theodorou, Georgios

AU - Lindgren, Johan

AU - Roussiakis, Socrates J.

AU - Bromley, Richard Granville

PY - 2011/12

Y1 - 2011/12

N2 - Well-preserved fossil eggs and eggshell fragments from the Pliocene Apolakkia Formation of Rhodes (Greece) are described. The eggs were found in-situ in a clutch. They are sub-spherical with lengths of 53-60 mm and widths of about 40 mm. All eggs are diagenetically compressed and their original diameters are estimated at 45-50 mm. The eggshells are 0.3-0.5 mm thick, partly recrystallized, but widely still aragonitic. They consist of needle-like crystals that form individual shell units. A few pores are preserved between these shell units. This shell-structure allows assignment to chelonian eggs in the oofamily Testudoolithidae and the oogenus Testudolithus. The external morphology, microstructure and mineralogical composition of the eggshells show close resemblance to eggs of the extant tortoise Geochelone elephantopus. Together with a small association of turtle carapace fragments from the same formation, the clutch represents the first discovery of turtle and reptilian remains from the Pliocene of the island of Rhodes.

AB - Well-preserved fossil eggs and eggshell fragments from the Pliocene Apolakkia Formation of Rhodes (Greece) are described. The eggs were found in-situ in a clutch. They are sub-spherical with lengths of 53-60 mm and widths of about 40 mm. All eggs are diagenetically compressed and their original diameters are estimated at 45-50 mm. The eggshells are 0.3-0.5 mm thick, partly recrystallized, but widely still aragonitic. They consist of needle-like crystals that form individual shell units. A few pores are preserved between these shell units. This shell-structure allows assignment to chelonian eggs in the oofamily Testudoolithidae and the oogenus Testudolithus. The external morphology, microstructure and mineralogical composition of the eggshells show close resemblance to eggs of the extant tortoise Geochelone elephantopus. Together with a small association of turtle carapace fragments from the same formation, the clutch represents the first discovery of turtle and reptilian remains from the Pliocene of the island of Rhodes.

U2 - 10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0201

DO - 10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0201

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0077-7749

VL - 262

SP - 309

EP - 322

JO - Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie

JF - Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie

IS - 3

ER -