- Source: Manouria
Manouria is a genus of tortoises in the family Testudinidae. The genus was erected by John Edward Gray in 1854.
Transitional adaptations
Manouria is either the most basal or second most basal member of the family Testudinidae (its phylogenetic position is adjacent to that of Gopherus). As a result, while tortoises are primarily terrestrial, the genus Manouria is a model for the evolutionary transition to terrestriality, as it still has an affinity for aquatic environments, and has retained some ancestral adaptations for an aquatic lifestyle while losing others. The Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys) has been observed attempting to feed on submerged food items, albeit unsuccessfully. Additionally, the species grasps food item with its jaws as in aquatic or semiaquatic taxa, as opposed to first making contact with the tongue as with all other tortoise species (with the possible exception of Gopherus).
Species
The following five species are recognized as being valid, two of which are extant, and three of which are extinct:
†Manouria sondaari Karl & Staesche, 2007 – a giant land tortoise from Luzon Island, Philippines however, Rhodin et al. (2015) transferred this species to the genus Megalochelys.
†Manouria punjabiensis (Lydekker, 1889) – a fossil tortoise from Siwaliks, India
†Manouria oyamai Takahashi, Otsuka & Hirayama , 2003 – a fossil tortoise from Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Manouria.
References
Further reading
Gray, J. E. (1854). "Description of a New Genus and some New Species of Tortoises". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1852: 133–135. (Manouria, new genus, p. 133).
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