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Abstract
A cladistic analysis of 18 shell characters of six American Testudinid genera did not support other classifications. Most sub-genera of Geochelone share advanced characters, and close relationships between two groups of Chelonidis were found: G. cubensis, G. carbonaria and G. denticulata; and G. gringorum, G. chilensis and G. elephatopus. Thus, Geochelone is not considered monophyletic. Also, G. costarricensis, the subgenus Cymatholcus, and the genus Floridemys are related. G. costarricensis presents a mosaic of characters, chiefly the presence of a nuchal shield, entoplastron trossed by the humeralpectoral sulcus, swollen first neural plate and inconcluse division in the second pygal. The phylogenetic relationship between Stylemys, Gopherus and Scaptochelys is confirmed.References
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