Sinemys Explained

Sinemys is an extinct genus of turtle from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous of China. Three species have been named: S. lens, the type species, from the Kimmeridgian-Tithonian of Shandong; S. gamera (Japanese: [[:ja:シネミス・ガメラ|シネミス・ガメラ]]) (named after the movie monster of the same name), from the Valanginian-Albian of Nei Mongol, and S. brevispinus from Early Cretaceous of Nei Mongol.^[1] S. wuerhoensis, from the Aptian-Albian of Xinjiang, is not referrable to this genus.^[2] Specimen that may be belong to this genus were also known from Japan,^[3] although later abstract considered it as indeterminate sinemydid.^[4] The species S. gamera is noted for the presence of a pair of elongate spines projecting outwards and backwards from seventh costal of the carapace. These may have served a hydrodynamic function.^[5]

Further reading

• Biology of Turtles by Jeanette Wyneken, Matthew H. Godfrey, and Vincent Bels

Notes and References

1. Tong . Haiyan . Brinkman . Donald . 2013-09-01 . A new species of Sinemys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Sinemydidae) from the Early Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China . Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments . en . 93 . 3 . 355–366 . 10.1007/s12549-012-0110-8 . 1867-1608.
2. Rabi . Márton . Joyce . Walter G. . Wings . Oliver . 2010 . A review of the Mesozoic turtles of the Junggar Basin (Xinjiang, Northwest China) and the paleobiogeography of Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Asian testudinates . Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments . en . 90 . 3 . 259–273 . 10.1007/s12549-010-0031-3 . 1867-1594.
3. Book: Lucas . Spencer G. . Lower and Middle Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems: Bulletin 14 . Kirkland . James I. . Estep . John W. . 1998 . New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science . en.
4. Hirayama . Ren . Teppei . Sonoda . 2015 . Review of the Cretaceous Non-marine Turtles of Japan . ASIAN DINOSAURS in Thailand 2015.
5. Tong . Haiyan . Brinkman . Donald . September 2013 . A new species of Sinemys (Testudines: Cryptodira: Sinemydidae) from the Early Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China . Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments . en . 93 . 3 . 355–366 . 10.1007/s12549-012-0110-8 . 1867-1594.