Sahonachelyidae

Sahonachelyidae is an extinct family of pelomedusoid turtles from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Maevarano Formation of Madagascar. The clade was recognized in 2021 by Joyce et al., and contains two genera: Sahonachelys and Sokatra. The clade is characterized by the presence of a reduced contribution of the maxilla to the floor of the orbit, and, the presence of a distinct posterior process of the maxilla. The clade went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period during the K-Pg extinction event.^[1]

Sahonachelyidae Temporal range: 72–66 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skull of Sahonachelys
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Pleurodira
Hyperfamily:	Pelomedusoides
Family:	†Sahonachelyidae Joyce et al, 2021
Genera
Sahonachelys Sokatra

References

1. Joyce, W. G.; Rollot, Y.; Evers, S. W.; Lyson, T. R.; Rahantarisoa, L. J.; Krause, D. W. (2021). "A new pelomedusoid turtle, Sahonachelys mailakavava, from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar provides evidence for convergent evolution of specialized suction feeding among pleurodires". Royal Society Open Science. 8 (5): Article ID 210098. Bibcode:2021RSOS....810098J. doi:10.1098/rsos.210098. PMC 8097199. PMID 34035950.