Aldabrachelys abrupta

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Cladus: Archelosauria
Division: Pan-Testudines
Division: Testudinata
Ordo: Testudines
Subordo: Cryptodira
Superfamilia: Testudinoidea

Familia: Testudinidae
Genus: Aldabrachelys
Species: †

Aldabrachelys abrupta

Name

†

Aldabrachelys abrupta (Grandidier 1868:377)

Lectotype: MNHN-P MAD3500 (Bour, 1994)
Type locality: Ambolisatra, Madagascar, Late Holocene, 14C age: 750 ± 370 ybp, 1200 AD ± 370 (830–1570 AD), calibrated age: 1358–55 ybp (592–1895 AD)

Synonymy

Testudo abrupta Grandidier 1868:377
Geochelone abrupta Pritchard 1967:172
Asterochelys abrupta Bour 1980:544
Dipsochelys abrupta Bour 1982:118
Aldabrachelys abrupta Fritz & Havas 2007:265

References

Grandidier, A. 1868. Sur les découvertes zoologiques faites récemment à Madagascar. Ann. Sc. Nat. Zool. Paris 10:375-378
Bour,R. 1980. Essai sur la taxinomie des Testudinidae actuels (Reptilia, Chelonii). Bull. Mus. natl. Hist. nat. Paris (4)2(2):541-546
Turtle Extinctions Working Group (Rhodin, A.G.J., Thomson, S., Georgalis, G., Karl, H.-V., Danilov, I.G., Takahashi, A., de la Fuente, M.S., Bourque, J.R., Delfino, M., Bour, R., Iverson, J.B., Shaffer, H.B., and van Dijk, P.P.). 2015. Turtles and tortoises of the world during the rise and global spread of humanity: first checklist and review of extinct Pleistocene and Holocene chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs. 5(8):000e.1–66. Download

Aldabrachelys abrupta, the abrupt giant tortoise, is an extinct species of giant tortoise that was endemic to Madagascar.

Ecology

It was a large species, roughly 115 cm in length. It was originally one of the six endemic tortoise species of Madagascar (two large Aldabrachelys; two medium Astrochelys; two small Pyxis). It was sympatric with the other giant tortoise species of Madagascar, Grandidier's giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys grandidieri (also extinct)), and both species occupied both the coasts and the cooler highlands of Madagascar, where they fulfilled the role of large grazers. A. abrupta was a browser of bushes and low-hanging branches; A. grandidieri was a grazer of grassy meadows and wetlands.

Unlike its sister species, which had a low, flattened shell, A. abrupta had a high, domed shell.
Extinction

Material of this species has been dated to 750–2850 years before present, and it seems to have been widely distributed throughout Madagascar. It was estimated to have gone extinct c. AD 1200. However, remains with disputed dating have suggested that some survived up until at least 1500, and it seems to have survived a considerable time in coexistence with humans, before it finally died out.[3]
References

Grandidier, A. 1868. Sur les découvertes zoologiques faites récemment à Madagascar. Annales des Sciences Naturelles. Zoologie et Paléontologie, Paris (5)10:375–378.
Fritz Uwe; Peter Havaš (2007). "Checklist of Chelonians of the World" (PDF). Vertebrate Zoology. 57 (2): 265. ISSN 1864-5755. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-17. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
Rhodin, AGJ, Thomson, SA, Georgalis, GL, Karl, H-V, Danilov, IG, Takahashi, A, de la Fuente, MS, Bourque, JR, Delfino, M, Bour, R, Iverson, JB, Shaffer, HB, and van Dijk, PP. 2015. Turtles and Tortoises of the World During the Rise and Global Spread of Humanity: First Checklist and Review of Extinct Pleistocene and Holocene Chelonians. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) 5(8):000e.1–66. doi:10.3854/crm.5.000e.fossil.checklist.v1.2015