[Palaeontology, Vol. 54, Part 6, 2011, pp. 1393–1414] A NEW LATE JURASSIC TURTLE FROM SPAIN: PHYLOGENETIC IMPLICATIONS, TAPHONOMY AND PALAEOECOLOGY by BEN J. SLATER1, MATI´AS REOLID2, REMMERT SCHOUTEN3 and MICHAEL J. BENTON3 1School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; e-mail:
[email protected] 2Departmento de Geologı´a, Universidad de Jae´n, Campus Las Lagunillas sn, 23071 Jae´n, Spain; e-mail:
[email protected] 3School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen’s Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK; e-mails:
[email protected],
[email protected] Typescript received 26 October 2010; accepted in revised form 27 May 2011 Abstract: The Jurassic was an important period in the evo- of the new taxon is hard to resolve, and it might be either a lution of Testudinata and encompasses the origin of many paracryptodire or a basal testudine, but it is distinct from clades, and this is especially true of Jurassic turtles from Wes- Plesiochelys. A complex taphonomic history is shown by a tern Europe. A new genus and species of Late Jurassic turtle, range of overlying grazing traces and bioerosion on the cara- Hispaniachelys prebetica gen. et sp. nov. from the upper Ox- pace. The carapace was subsequently overturned and buried fordian of the Prebetic (Southern Spain), is described on the ventrally up, terminating grazing activity, and was then bored basis of postcranial material. The specimen is the only known by sponges before final burial. Scanning electron microscopy tetrapod from the Mesozoic of the Prebetic and the oldest reveals phosphatic microspheroids associated with bacterial turtle from southern Europe.