Trionychoidea

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Trionychoidea
Spiny Softshell Turtle(Apalone spinifera)
Spiny Softshell Turtle
(Apalone spinifera)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Class: Sauropsida
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Trionychoidea
Fitzinger, 1826
Families

Carettochelyidae
Dermatemydidae
Kinosternidae
Trionychidae
and see text
Synonyms

Kinosternoidea

Trionychoidea is a superfamily of turtles which encompasses the species that are commonly referred to as softshelled turtles as well as some others. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world.

It traditionally consisted of a single family, two subfamilies, and 14 genera. However, more recently it was realized that the supposed "Kinosternoidea" are acutally early offshoots of the Trionychoidea and not as closely related among each other as it was believed. These two families lack the characteristic trionychoid apomorphies, but possess some highly derived characters of their own, which they moreover evolved independently from each other.

[edit] Systematics[1]

The Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) is a primitive relative of the true softshells which still has a typical hard turtle shell
The Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) is a primitive relative of the true softshells which still has a typical hard turtle shell

Except for those not assigned to a family, only living genera are listed here.

Basal and incertae sedis

Family Adocidae (fossil)

Family Dermatemydidae

Family Kinosternidae

Family Carettochelyidae

Family Trionychidae

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ See references in Haaramo (2008)

[edit] References

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