Trionychoidea

Taxobox
name = Trionychoidea

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image_width = 240px
image_caption = Spiny Softshell Turtle ("Apalone spinifera")
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
superclassis = Tetrapoda
classis = Sauropsida
subclassis = Anapsida
ordo = Testudines
subordo = Cryptodira
superfamilia = Trionychoidea
superfamilia_authority = Fitzinger, 1826
subdivision_ranks = Families
subdivision =
Carettochelyidae

Dermatemydidae

Kinosternidae

Trionychidae
and see text
synonyms =
Kinosternoidea

Trionychoidea is a superfamily of turtles which encompasses the species that are commonly referred to as softshelled turtles as well as some others. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world.

It traditionally consisted of a single family, two subfamilies, and 14 genera. However, more recently it was realized that the supposed "Kinosternoidea" are acutally early offshoots of the Trionychoidea and not as closely related among each other as it was believed. These two families lack the characteristic trionychoid apomorphies, but possess some highly derived characters of their own, which they moreover evolved independently from each other.

Systematics [See references in Haaramo (2008)]

Except for those not assigned to a family, only living genera are listed here.

Basal and "incertae sedis"
* Genus "Hoplochelys" (fossil)
* Genus "Emarginachelys" (fossil)

Family Adocidae (fossil)

Family Dermatemydidae
* Genus "Dermatemys"

Family Kinosternidae
* Subfamily Kinosterninae
** Genus "Kinosternon"
** Genus "Sternotherus"
* Subfamily Staurotypinae - sometimes placed in Chelydridae
** Genus "Claudius"
** Genus "Staurotypus"

Family Carettochelyidae
* Subfamily Carettochelyinae
** Genus "Carettochelys"

Family Trionychidae
* Subfamily Cyclanorbinae
** Genus "Cyclanorbis"
** Genus "Cycloderma"
** Genus "Lissemys"
* Subfamily Trionychinae
** Genus "Amyda"
** Genus "Apalone"
** Genus "Aspideretes"
** Genus "Chitra"
** Genus "Dogania"
** Genus "Nilssonia"
** Genus "Palea"
** Genus "Pelochelys"
** Genus "Pelodiscus"
** Genus "Rafetus"
** Genus "Trionyx"

Footnotes

References

* (2008): Mikko's Phylogeny Archive - [http://www.helsinki.fi/~mhaaramo/metazoa/deuterostoma/chordata/reptilia/parareptilia/trionychoidea/trionychoidea.html Trionychoidea] . Version of 2008-MAR-11. Retrieved 2008-MAY-06.