Tacuarembemys ("Tacuarembó turtle") is an extinct genus of continental turtle from South America. It contains a single species, T. kusterae. The genus was described based on the external mold of a carapace and associated shell bone fragments found near the city of Tacuarembó, Uruguay.[1] This fossil was found on the Tacuarembó Formation, whose estimated age ranges from late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous.[2]
| Tacuarembemys Temporal range: Late Jurassic, ~ | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Pantestudines |
| Clade: | Testudinata |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Genus: | †Tacuarembemys Perea et al., 2014 |
| Species: | †T. kusterae |
| Binomial name | |
| †Tacuarembemys kusterae Perea et al., 2014 | |
It is the first turtle to be discovered in South American continental deposits of that age, and shows a unique combination of traits (shared and derived), who allows the recognition of this fossil as a new genus. Despite that, more remains are needed to clarify its phylogenetic relationships.[1] The estimated length of carapace is 18 cm.
The histology of its plates, a shell that is dorsoventrally low, and the paleoenvironment proposed for the Tacuarembó Formation (permanent and temporary streams and lakes[2]), support the ecology of this genus as semiaquatic and mainly aquatic turtles.[1]