BREVIORA MiLiiseiiinn of Coimpsirsitive Zoology Cambridge, Mass. 30 November, 1970 Number 357 A review of the fossil Pelomedusidae (Testudines, Pleurodira) of Asia Roger Conant Wood Abstract. The taxonomic status of the three Asiatic chelonian genera that have been described as pelomedusids is reviewed. Of these, "Podoc-neinis" imiica, although possibly a member of the family, is so poorly known that familial assignment is not presently possible. Carteremys leithii and Shwehoemys pilgrimi both appear to be valid palomedusid species. On the basis of new material S. pilgrimi is redescribed and, in addition, a new species of this genus from the Miocene of Baluchistan, S. gaffneyi, is proposed. INTRODUCTION Living pelomedusid turtles are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and South America. But paleontological evidence indicates that pelomedusids formerly had a much more cosmo-politan distribution; fossil representatives of this family occur in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The purpose of the present paper is to review the extinct Asiatic chelonian genera that have been described as pelomedusids as well as to put on record two new fossil pelomedusid skulls from Asia, one referable to Shwehoemys pilgrimi and the other repre-senting a new species of the same genus. Abbreviations used in this paper are: ANSP — Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia BMNH — British Museum (Natural History) GSI — Geological Survey of India MCZ — Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University I have not seen the material described by Lydekker, Swinton, and Williams that is contained in the collections of the Geological Survey of India, but it is for the most part well figured in the literature. Photographs of the type of Shwehoemys pilgrimi Swinton have been available.
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