A taxonomic reassessment of the Upper Pliocene Pond turtle, Melanochely mossoczyi wetterauensis, from the lignite coal mines of Wetterau, Hesse, Germany

An overview description of the taxonomical feature of the Upper Pliocene turtle’s remains from the Wölfersheim brown coal deposit in the Wetterau, Hesse, Germany is given here. The original material came from the former “Natural Science Collections” in Meiningen (1950- 1960) as an exchange sample and is now preserved as a holotype “MSB IB k 314” in the “Museum of Natural History” Schleußingen, Thuringia, Germany. The material was scientifically described previously as a member of the genus Geoemyda and is reviewed again here. This taxon is reassessed and re-identified as being in close relationship with the European taxon of Melanochely mossoczyi (Previously referred to as Geoemyda mossoczyi).