| Allopleuron | |
|---|---|
| Fossil specimen, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Cheloniidae |
| Subfamily: | †Allopleuroninae |
| Genus: | †Allopleuron Baur, 1888 |
| Type species | |
| Chelonia hofmanni | |
| Species[1] | |
| |
Allopleuron (meaning "other side") is a genus of extinctsea turtle, which measured 2-to-2.5-metre (6 ft 7 in to 8 ft 2 in) long in life. Thetype species isAllopleuron hofmanni. It is a basal member of the cladePancheloniidae,[3] closely related toProtosphargis. Similar toProtosphargis, it was characterized by shell reduction.[4]

Allopleuron lived from theLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian age, 94.3 Ma) to theOligocene (Rupelian age, 28.4 Ma), therefore surviving theCretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Fossils have been found from Germany, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan and the United States.[1][5]
Allopleuron was believed to have used theLaurasian-Holarctic southern continental shelf as a breeding area.[6] The modern day location of the breeding ground is along the coast of Asia.Allopleuron is believed to have eaten jellyfish, seaweed, or carcasses;[7]A. hofmanniδ13C values indicate a carnivorous diet.[8] It is believed that adult maleAllopleuron lived off the coast of southeast Netherlands, and northeast Belgium due to the large amount of fossils in these areas. The area is believed to have been a sea grass meadow that was able to sustain the large population. The lack of remains from juvenileAllopleuron indicate that the young of the species lived elsewhere.[6]
Evers et al. (2019):[3]