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 been found in Africa, India, the Middle East, Europe, North America and South America. Bothremydids were aquatic turtles with a high morphological diversity, indicative of generalist, molluscivorous, piscivorous and possibly herbivorous grazing diets,[1][2] with some probably capable of suction feeding.[2] Unlike modern pleurodires, which are exclusively freshwater, bothremydids inhabited freshwater, marine and coastal environments.[1] Their marine habits allowed bothremydids to disperse across oceanic barriers into Europe and North America during the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian).[3] The youngest records of the group are indeterminate remains from Saudi Arabia and Oman, dating to the Miocene.[4]
Taxonomy
The family is split into two subfamilies and a number of tribes.[5]
Algorachelus tibert (Joyce et al. 2016) Naturita Formation, Utah, Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) (alternatively considered the only member of the genus Paiutemys)
Iberoccitanemysatlanticum (Lapparent de Broin and Murelaga, 1996 originally Polysternon atlanticum) syn Iberoccitanemys convenarum (Laurent et al., 2002)
Tribe Taphrosphyini Gaffney et al., 2006
Ilatardia Pérez-García, 2019 Farin Doutchi Formation, Niger, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
Subtribe Nigermydina Gaffney et al., 2006
Arenila Lapparent de Broin and Werner, 1998 Dakhla Formation, Egypt, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
Arenila krebsi Lapparent de Broin and Werner, 1998
Subtribe Taphrosphyina Gaffney et al., 2006
Azabbaremys Gaffney et al., 2001 Teberemt Formation, Mali, Paleocene
Azabbaremys moragjonesi Gaffney et al., 2001
Eotaphrosphys Perez-Garcia, 2018 Mont-Aimé, France, Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
Eotaphrosphys ambiguum (Gaudry, 1890)
Labrostochelys Gaffney et al., 2006 Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco, Paleocene
Labrostochelys galkini Gaffney et al., 2006
Motelomama Perez-Garcia, 2018 Salina Group, Peru, Eocene (Ypresian)
Motelomama olssoni (Schmidt, 1931)
Phosphatochelys Gaffney and Tong, 2003 Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco, Paleocene
Phosphatochelys tedfordi Gaffney and Tong, 2003
Rhothonemys Gaffney et al., 2006 Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco, Paleocene