Echmatemys Turtle Skull CT Scans for Geoemydidae Phylogenetic Analysis

High-resolution computed tomography scans of two fossil turtle skulls attributed to the Eocene genus Echmatemys. The dataset includes TNT, ZIP, and NEX files totaling 1.1 MB, authored by Gabriel S. Bever and last updated on 2026-05-12. It provides anatomical details of specimens USNM 17999 and YPM PU-11525 to clarify early testudinoid history.

Use Cases

• Phylogenetic analysis based on cranial anatomical features described in the CT scans.
• Comparative morphology studies based on the detailed anatomy of the skull and inner ear cavity.
• Testing evolutionary hypotheses about the deep history of the Geoemydidae family.
• Character coding for phylogenetic matrices based on the derived features like the positioning of the geniculate ganglion.

Strengths

• Includes high-resolution computed tomography data for detailed anatomical study.
• Focuses on two specific, well-preserved fossil skulls (USNM 17999 and YPM PU-11525).
• Released under a permissive CC-BY-4.0 license for reuse.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Dataset size is 1.1 MB, indicating a small-scale, specialized collection.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Computed tomography scanning of fossil specimens.

Time Range

Eocene epoch.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-12 09:29:53; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North America.