Hasta ahora habían sido identificados dos taxones de tortugas en el yacimiento del final del Cretácico Inferior de Ariño (Teruel, España). Una de ellas correspondía a una nueva tortuga primitiva acuática (el pleurostérnido Toremys cassiopeia). La otra era una nueva tortuga terrestre primitiva (el heloquelídrido Aragochersis lignitesta). Sin embargo, nuevas evidencias podrían apuntar a la presencia de más de una especie de tortuga terrestre conviviendo en el yacimiento. En este sentido, una comunicación oral sobre esta temática ha sido presentada en las IX Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno.
Su resumen es el siguiente:
Helochelydridae is recognized as the most abundant clade of terrestrial basal turtles (i.e., Testudinata belonging to the stem group of Testudines) for both the uppermost Jurassic to the uppermost Cretaceous record of Europe, and the Lower to the Upper Cretaceous record of North America. Several representatives have been defined for the European record. The two most complete European skeletons for this lineage have recently been recognized in the lower Albian fossiliferous levels of the Santa María Quarry, in Ariño (Teruel, Aragon, Spain). They were attributed to a single form, identified as a new taxon, Aragochersis lignitesta. Additional material of Helochelydridae has been found at this fossiliferous locality. Some of these remains have been prepared for study, but they remain unpublished until now. Anatomical elements of juvenile and adult individuals are recognized. However, not all of them seem attributable to Aragochersis lignitesta. The partial skeleton of an adult individual of Helochelydridae from Ariño is presented here. Its attribution to a form different from Aragochersis lignitesta is discussed.
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