Testudo Cubensis and the Evolution of Western Hemisphere Tortoises

Download or read book Testudo Cubensis and the Evolution of Western Hemisphere Tortoises written by Ernest Edward Williams and published by . This book was released on 1950 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "One. estudo cubensis Leidy is redefined and redescribed. 2. A grouping and phylogeny of the New World testudines are attempted. 3. The species aticunea Cope, raeextans Lambe, revisterna Loomis, aga Hay, miliae Hay, ansa Hay, nusitata Hay, dae Hay, ollandi Hay, ndabuna Loomis, ohavense Merriam, opei Koerner, urgida Cope, iggsi Hibbard, ampester Hay, exagonata Cope, calana Hay, ncisa Hay, and ayi Sellards, formerly placed in the genus Testudo, are here allocated to Gopherus. The species anyonensis Johnston, placed by its author in the monotypic genus ysmachelys, is also referred to Gopherus. adrianus?scucherti Hay is placed in the genus ymatholcus Clark. 4. estudo cubensis is regarded as an early offshoot of a Central American stock that gave rise to the three living Neotropical tortoises. 5. Subgeneric separation is suggested for the Neotropical tortoises (including ubensis) under the name Chelonoidis Fitzinger, 1835, and for the very distinct group of Nearctic tortoises typified by . osborniana under the name esperotestudo, new subgenus. 6. The name ystra Hay, 1916, preoccupied by a genus of Hymenoptera, is replaced by loridemys, new name"--Page 32