Fontainechelon

Fontainechelon is an extinct genus of testudinid from Saint Papoul, France during the Early Eocene. It is known from a single species, F. cassouleti.^[1]

Fontainechelon Temporal range: Early Eocene (Early Ypresian)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Testudinidae
Genus:	†Fontainechelon Pérez-García et. al., 2016

Fontainechelon is the oldest European testudinid, and the most basal of all testudinids.^[1][2]

Etymology

It was named after Jean de La Fontaine, alluding to some of his fables in which the protagonist was a tortoise.

Taxonomy

Fontainechelon cassouleti was historically considered a species of Achilemys. The genus Achilemys is now restricted to North America.^[1] Fontainechelon was found to be the most basal of all testudinids.^[1][2]

Description

The species is known primarily from the holotype, which includes a partial carapace, a complete plastron, the right humerus, and the left femur. There are also several highly fragmentary referred specimens. The holotype had an estimated shell length of 37 cm.^[1]