Plastomenus
Plastomenus is an extinct genus of turtle that inhabited western North America during the early Paleogene period.
Evolution
Plastomenus belongs to the clade Pantrionychidae, represented by softshell turtles in modern times. It is the type genus of the subfamily Plastomeninae, a group of extinct turtles that lived from the Late Cretaceous to the Eocene. The type species, P. thomasii, was first described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1872.The following species are known:
- †P. joycei Lyson, Petermann & Miller, 2021 - Early Paleocene of Colorado, USA
- †P. thomasii - Early to Middle Eocene of Wyoming, USA
- †P. vegetus - Early Paleocene of New Mexico, USA