2018 in paleontology

Research

• New three dimensionally phosphatized microfossils of coronate scyphozoan Qinscyphus necopinus, including a new type of fossil embryo, are described from the Cambrian (Fortunian) Kuanchuanpu Formation (China) by Shao et al. (2018), who interpret their findings as indicating that Qinscyphus underwent direct development.^[2]
• A study on the morphology of the conulariid species Carinachites spinatus based on a new specimen collected from the lower Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation (China) is published by Han et al. (2018).^[3]
• Revision of stony corals from the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian) Oehrli Formation (Austria and Switzerland) is published by Baron-Szabo (2018), who compares this fauna with five additional Berriasian coral faunas.^[4]

New taxa

Research

• Studies on the ontogenetic development of early acrotretoid brachiopods based on well preserved specimens of the earliest Cambrian species Eohadrotreta zhenbaensis and Eohadrotreta? zhujiahensis from the Shuijingtuo Formation (China) are published by Zhang et al. (2018).^[14][15]
• A study on the extinction and origination of members of the order Strophomenida during the Late Ordovician mass extinction will be published by Sclafani et al. (2018).^[16]
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships among strophomenoid brachiopods and on the biogeographical changes in the strophomenoids through time (focusing on the impact of the Late Ordovician mass extinction on the evolutionary history of strophomenoids) will be published by Congreve, Krug & Patzkowsky (2018).^[17]
• A study on the evolution of the body size of brachiopods from the Late Permian to the Middle Triassic, as indicated by brachiopod specimens from South China, will be published by Chen et al. (2018).^[18]
• A study on the body size of several brachiopod assemblages recorded into the extinction interval prior to the Toarcian turnover, collected from representative localities around the Iberian Massif (Spain and Portugal), is published by García Joral, Baeza-Carratalá & Goy (2018).^[19]

New taxa

Research

• A study on the morphology of the feeding ambulacral system in the Ordovician diploporitan Eumorphocystis, as indicated by data from well‐preserved specimens from the Bromide Formation (Oklahoma, United States), will be published by Sheffield & Sumrall (2018), who interpret their findings as indicating that Eumorphocystis was closely related to crinoids and that crinoids are nested within blastozoans.^[40]
• A study on the morphology of specimens of the blastoid species Deltoblastus batheri and Deltoblastus delta from the Permian of Timor, evaluating whether the differences indicative of niche differentiation could be detected, is published by Morgan (2018).^[41]
• A study on the morphological development of the primary large thecal plate in the widest part of the theca of Guizhoueocrinus yui will be published by Wang et al. (2018).^[42]
• Fatka, Nohejlová & Lefebvre (2018) interpret enigmatic Drumian echinoderm Lapillocystites fragilis as likely junior synonym of the edrioasteroid species Stromatocystites pentangularis.^[43]
• A study on the frequency of breakage and regeneration in the spines of the Middle Devonian camerate Gennaeocrinus and late Paleozoic cladids, as well as a survey of the prevalence of spinosity and infestation by platyceratid gastropods on crinoids during the Paleozoic, is published by Syverson et al. (2018).^[44]
• A study on the morphology of arms of fossil and modern crinoids spanning from the Ordovician to the recent, evaluating whether known crinoid clades had more capacity to evolve morphological variation around the time of their origin than later in their evolutionary history, is published by Pimiento et al. (2018).^[45]
• A study on the changes of the body sizes of crinoids after the Late Devonian extinction is published by Brom, Salamon & Gorzelak (2018).^[46]
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of diplobathrid crinoids will be published by Cole (2018).^[47]
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of disparid crinoids is published by Ausich (2018).^[48]
• A study on the microstructure of the stalk of the Triassic crinoid Holocrinus is published by Gorzelak (2018), who interprets his findings as indicating that Holocrinus was likely capable of stalk autotomy.^[49]
• A study on the occurrences of post-Paleozoic (Ladinian to Ypresian) crinoids from northeast Spain, on the main stratigraphic and sedimentological features of the sedimentary units that have yielded complete identifiable crinoids, and on their implications for reconstructing the environmental distribution of these crinoids, is published by Zamora et al. (2018).^[50]
• 37 new Antarctic and Australian occurrences of Cenozoic isocrinid crinoids, representing nine different species in three genera, are reported by Whittle et al. (2018), who interpret their findings as indicating that isocrinid migration from shallow to deep water during the Mesozoic marine revolution did not occur at the same time all over the world.^[51]
• A study on the evolution of Paleozoic starfish is published by Blake (2018), who names new extinct orders Euaxosida, Hadrosida, and Kermasida, as well as new families Lacertasteridae, Permasteridae, and Illusioluididae.^[52]
• A study on the substrate preference in stem group sea urchins during the Carboniferous Period is published by Thompson & Bottjer (2018).^[53]
• A study on the evolution of the species richness and morphological diversity of sea urchins in the Jurassic (Toarcian to Tithonian stages) is published by Boivin et al. (2018).^[54]

New taxa

Research

• A study testing the proposed models of growth of conodont elements is published by Shirley et al. (2018).^[97]
• A study on the histological sections of Ordovician and Permian conodont dental elements from the Bell Canyon Formation (Texas, United States), Harding Sandstone (Colorado, United States), Ali Bashi Formation (Iran) and Canadian Arctic, examining those fossils for the presence and distribution of soft tissue biomarkers, is published by Terrill, Henderson & Anderson (2018).^[98]
• A study evaluating the δ¹⁸O variation within a species-rich conodont assemblage from the Ordovician (Floian) Factory Cove Member of the Shallow Bay Formation, Cow Head Group (western Newfoundland, Canada), as well as assessing the implications of these data for determining the paleothermometry of ancient oceans and conodont ecologic models, is published by Wheeley et al. (2018).^{[99][100][101]}
• A study on the body size and diversity of Carnian conodonts from South China and their implications for inferring the biotic and environmental changes during the Carnian Pluvial Event is published by Zhang et al. (2018).^[102]
• A study on fossils of members of the genus Alternognathus from the Upper Devonian of the Kowala quarry (central Poland), attempting to calibrate the course of their ontogeny in days and documenting cyclic mortality events, is published by Świś (2018).^[103]
• A study assessing the similarity of late Paleozoic to Triassic conodont faunas known from the Cache Creek Terrane (Canada) is published by Golding (2018).^[104]
• Reconstruction of the multi-element apparatus of the Middle Triassic conodont from British Columbia (Canada) belonging to the Neogondolella regalis group within the genus Neogondolella is presented by Golding (2018).^[105]
• A study on the composition of the apparatus of Nicoraella, based on data from clusters from the Middle Triassic Luoping Biota (Yunnan, China), will be published by Huang et al. (2018).^[106]
• Reconstruction of the number and arrangement of elements in the apparatus of Hindeodus parvus published by Zhang et al. (2017)^[107] is criticized by Agematsu, Golding & Orchard (2018);^[108] Purnell et al. (2018) defend their original conclusions.^[109]
• A cluster of icriodontid conodonts belonging to the species Caudicriodus woschmidti, providing new information on the apparatus structure of icriodontid conodonts, is described from the Lower Devonian sediments in southern Burgenland (Austria) by Suttner, Kido & Briguglio (2018).^[110]
• A study on the species belonging to the genus Neognathodus, evaluating whether previously defined morphotype groups are reliably distinct from one another, will be published by Zimmerman, Johnson & Polly (2018).^[111]
• The apparatus of Vogelgnathus simplicatus is reconstructed from discrete elements from a sample of limited diversity from the Carboniferous strata from Ireland by Sanz-López, Blanco-Ferrera & Miller (2018).^[112]

New taxa

Research

• Evidence from multi-stable isotope data indicating that some Devonian vertebrates, including early tetrapods, were euryhaline and inhabited aquatic environments subject to rapid changes in salinity is presented by Goedert et al. (2018).^[126]
• A study on the evolution of forelimb musculature from the lobe-finned fish to early tetrapods is published by Molnar et al. (2018).^[127]
• A partial jaw resembling that of Crassigyrinus is described from the Tournaisian of Scotland by Clack, Porro & Bennett (2018), potentially extending the existence of the genus by approximately 20 million years towards the base of the Carboniferous.^[128]
• A study on the fossil record of amphibians, aiming to identify traits that influenced the extinction risk of species, and using this data to predict the extinction risk for living amphibian species, is published by Tietje & Rödel (2018).^[129]
• A study on the structure of stapes of Edops craigi is published by Schoch (2018).^[130]
• A study on the morphology and phylogenetic relationships of Neldasaurus is published by Schoch (2018).^[131]
• A study on the morphological changes in the skull that have been considered related to size reduction in dissorophoids, evaluating whether these changes are consistent with the consequences of miniaturization according to the studies in extant miniature amphibians, is published by Pérez-Ben, Schoch & Báez (2018).^[132]
• Well-preserved postcranial skeletons of two dissorophids are described from the early Permian karst deposits near Richards Spur (Oklahoma, United States) by Gee & Reisz (2018).^[133]
• A revision of the fossil material assigned to Fayella chickashaensis is published by Gee, Scott & Reisz (2018), who consider this species to be a nomen dubium.^[134]
• Redescription of the holotype specimen of the dissorophid species Alegeinosaurus aphthitos will be published by Gee (2018), who considers Alegeinosaurus to be a junior synonym of Aspidosaurus.^[135]
• New skull remains of Cacops morrisi, as well as the first known postcranial remains of the taxon, are described from the Permian of the Richards Spur locality (Oklahoma, United States) by Gee & Reisz (2018).^[136]
• A study on the morphology and phylogenetic relationships of Limnogyrinus elegans is published by Schoch & Witzmann (2018).^[137]
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Parotosuchus nasutus is published by Schoch (2018).^[138]
• Redescription of the Angusaurus, based on a new specimen providing new information of the skull anatomy of this taxon, will be published by Fernández-Coll et al. (2018).^[139]
• Partial mandible of a large-bodied metoposaurid is described from the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation exposures at Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona, United States) by Gee & Parker (2018).^[140]
• Morphological description of two new small-bodied metoposaurid specimens from Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona, United States) and a histological analysis of the vertebra of these specimens will be published by Gee & Parker (2018), who argue that their findings support the interpretation of Apachesaurus as a juvenile metoposaurid.^[141]
• A study on the histology of the humeri of members of the species Metoposaurus krasiejowensis, revealing the occurrence of two different growth patterns (histotypes), is published by Teschner, Sander & Konietzko-Meier (2018).^[142]
• A study on the feeding mode of Metoposaurus krasiejowensis as indicated by bone microstructure and computational biomechanics is published by Konietzko-Meier et al. (2018).^[143]
• A study on the morphology of the mandibular sutures in Metoposaurus krasiejowensis, using histological thin sections, will be published by Gruntmejer et al. (2018).^[144]
• Description of the ornamentation of clavicles and skull bones of Metoposaurus krasiejowensis is published by Antczak & Bodzioch (2018).^[145]
• Redescription of Regalerpeton weichangensis based on eight new specimens and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Rong (2018).^[146]
• An incomplete vertebra of a member of Caudata is described from the Algerian part of the Cretaceous Kem Kem Beds by Alloul et al. (2018).^[147]
• Description of bone anomalies in specimens of the cryptobranchid Eoscapherpeton asiaticum from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation (Uzbekistan) and a study on their possible origin is published by Skutschas et al. (2018).^[148]
• Description of new specimens of the fossil salamandrids Taricha oligocenica and Taricha lindoei from the Oligocene of Oregon, providing new information on the morphology of these taxa, and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of these species is published by Jacisin & Hopkins (2018).^[149]
• Cretaceous frog tracks are described from the Saok Island (South Korea) by Park et al. (2018), who name a new ichnotaxon Ranipes saokensis.^[150]
• Fossils of the painted frog Latonia gigantea will be described from the Miocene of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (Spain) by Villa et al. (2018), representing the first known record of the species from the Iberian Peninsula.^[151]
• Fossils of Latonia cf. gigantea will be described from the early Miocene of Greece (representing the first record of the species from that country) by Georgalis et al. (2018), along with other amphibian and reptile fossils.^[152]
• Fossils of members of the genus Palaeobatrachus are described from the Miocene (Turolian) localities in Adygea (Russia) by Syromyatnikova (2018).^[153]
• A redescription of Pelobates praefuscus from the Pliocene of Moldova will be published by Syromyatnikova (2018), who considers this taxon to be a species distinct from Pelobates fuscus.^[154]
• A redescription and a study of the phylogenetic relationships of Baurubatrachus pricei is published by Báez & Gómez (2018).^[155]
• Frog fossils, including the first known fossils of shovelnose frogs, will be described from the early Pliocene of Kanapoi (Kenya) by Delfino (2018).^[156]
• Description of new fossil material of Thaumastosaurus from three localities in Switzerland, and a revision of the stratigraphic records of the genus Thaumastosaurus and other ranoid fossils from the Eocene of Europe, is published by Vasilyan (2018).^[157]
• A study on the anatomy of regenerating tails in two specimens of the Carboniferous lepospondyl Microbrachis pelikani, comparing tail regeneration in this taxon and in extant seal salamander and Ocoee salamander, is published by van der Vos, Witzmann & Fröbisch (2018).^[158]
• A study on the skull ornamentation of a large specimen of Brachydectes newberryi from Linton (Ohio, United States) is published by Mann (2018).^[159]
• Description of the anatomy of the skeleton of the chroniosuchian species Bystrowiella schumanni and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of chroniosuchians is published by Witzmann & Schoch (2018).^[160]
• A study on the variation of digit proportions and trackway parameters in diadectomorph tracks with a relatively short pedal digit V, representing ichnogenus Ichniotherium, is published by Buchwitz & Voight (2018).^[161]

New taxa

Research

• Triassic reptile Megachirella wachtleri is reinterpreted as the oldest known stem-squamate by Simões et al. (2018).^[170]
• Fossil trackways probably made by lizards running bipedally are described from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian-early Albian) Hasandong Formation (South Korea) by Lee et al. (2018), who name a new ichnotaxon Sauripes hadongensis.^[171]
• New fossil material of Dicothodon bajaensis, providing new information on the tooth replacement pattern in this species, is described from the Campanian of Mexico by Chavarría-Arellano, Simões & Montellano-Ballesteros (2018).^[172]
• A study on the manus of a putative stem-gekkotan from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar is published by Fontanarrosa, Daza & Abdala (2018), who report the presence of adaptations to climbing, including adhesive structures.^[173]
• A maxilla of a gekkotan of uncertain phylogenetic placement is described from the Late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation (Tanzania) by Müller et al. (2018), representing the second record of a Paleogene gekkotan from Africa and the first one from the central part of the continent.^[174]
• A revision of the lizard fossils from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia and China which were originally assigned to the genus Bainguis is published by Dong et al. (2018), who transfer some of this fossil material to the stem-scincoid genus Parmeosaurus.^[175]
• New specimen of the Late Jurassic lizard Ardeosaurus brevipes is described from the Solnhofen area (Germany) by Tałanda (2018), who interprets this species as a probable member of the crown group of Scincoidea.^[176]
• Fossils of a member of the genus Timon are described from the Pleistocene of Monte Tuttavista (Sardinia, Italy) by Tschopp et al. (2018), representing the first reported fossil occurrence of this genus from Sardinia.^[177]
• A dentary of an amphisbaenian belonging or related to the species Blanus strauchi is described from the middle Miocene locality of Gebeceler (Turkey) by Georgalis et al. (2018), representing the first fossil find of a member of the Blanus strauchi species complex and the sole confirmed fossil occurrence of the genus Blanus in the eastern Mediterranean region reported so far.^[178]
• Amphisbaenian vertebral material is described from the Pliocene of northern Greece by Georgalis, Villa & Delfino (2018), representing the youngest occurrence of amphisbaenians in continental Eastern Europe reported so far.^[179]
• A premaxilla of a member of the genus Elgaria is described from the Miocene Split Rock Formation (Wyoming, United States) by Scarpetta (2018), representing the oldest known fossil of a member of this genus reported so far.^[180]
• Fossil anguine material is described from the lower Miocene locality Ulm – Westtangente (Germany) for the first time by Klembara, Hain & Čerňanský (2018).^[181]
• Two specimens assigned to the species Saniwa ensidens, preserving an accessory foramen in the skull indicative of the presence of fourth eye, are described from the Eocene Bridger Formation (Wyoming, United States) by Smith et al. (2018).^[182]
• Fossil vertebrae of varanid lizards are described from the early Miocene Loire Basin (France) by Augé & Guével (2018).^[183]
• A basal mosasauroid specimen including a rib and a vertebra, representing a larger individual than the holotype of Phosphorosaurus ponpetelegans and predating P. ponpetelegans by approximately 10 million years, is reported from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Campanian) of Hokkaido (Japan) by Sato et al. (2018).^[184]
• A study evaluating the fossil record of mosasaurs in terms of fossil completeness as a measure of fossil quality is published by Driscoll et al. (2018).^[185]
• Description of two skulls of subadult specimens of Tylosaurus proriger from the Niobrara Formation (Kansas, United States), and a study on the allometric changes undergone by T. proriger through life, is published by Stewart & Mallon (2018),^[186] who reject the hypothesis presented by Jiménez-Huidobro, Simões & Caldwell (2016) that Tylosaurus kansasensis is a junior synonym of Tylosaurus nepaeolicus.^[187]
• The smallest-known, neonate-sized specimen of Tylosaurus is described from the Santonian portion of the Niobrara Chalk (Kansas, United States) by Konishi, Jiménez-Huidobro & Caldwell (2018).^[188]
• A study on the evolution of the skull shape in snakes and on its implications for inferring the ancestral ecology of snakes is published by Da Silva et al. (2018).^[189]
• New method of evaluating the age of fossil snake specimens at the time of death is proposed by Petermann & Gauthier (2018), who also test whether their method can be used to identify isolated fossil remains of the Eocene snake Boavus occidentalis from the Willwood Formation (Wyoming, United States) at the level of individual organisms.^[190]
• Digital endocasts of the inner ears of the madtsoiid snakes Yurlunggur and Wonambi are reconstructed by Palci et al. (2018), who also study the implications of the inner ear morphology of these taxa for inferring their ecology.^[191]
• A natural cast of the posterior brain, skull vessels and nerves, and the inner ear of Dinilysia patagonica is described by Triviño et al. (2018).^[192]
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the Miocene snake Pseudoepicrates stanolseni is published by Onary & Hsiou (2018), who transfer this species to the boid genus Chilabothrus.^[193]
• Snake fauna from the Miocene of the Baikadam and Malyi Kalkaman 1 and 2 localities in northeastern Kazakhstan, representing the best-documented Miocene snake assemblage in Central Asia, will be described by Ivanov et al. (2018).^[194]
• Description of snake fossils from the Pliocene/Pleistocene El Breal de Orocual locality and from the late Pleistocene Mene de Inciarte locality (Venezuela) is published by Onary, Rincón & Hsiou (2018).^[195]
• Inflammatory arthritis is documented for the first time in snakes, including the aquatic Cretaceous snake Lunaophis aquaticus, by Albino et al. (2018).^[196]
• Revision of lizard and snake fossils from the Pliocene site of Kanapoi (Kenya) is published by Head & Müller (2018).^[197]

New taxa

Research

• A study aiming to estimate metabolic rates and bone growth rates in eosauropterygians, especially in plesiosaurs, is published by Fleischle, Wintrich & Sander (2018).^[225]
• A study on the histology and life history of the Middle Triassic pachypleurosaurs: Dactylosaurus from the early Anisian of Poland and aff. Neusticosaurus pusillus from the early Ladinian of southern Germany is published by Klein & Griebeler (2018).^[226]
• Periosteal reaction to a tuberculosis-like respiratory infection affecting ribs of the holotype specimen of "Proneusticosaurus" silesiacus is reported by Surmik et al. (2018).^[227]
• A study on the variability of the skull morphology in Simosaurus gaillardoti is published by de Miguel Chaves, Ortega & Pérez-García (2018).^[228]
• A study on the internal anatomy of the skull of Nothosaurus marchicus is published by Voeten et al. (2018).^[229]
• An incomplete mandible of a large-bodied predatory plesiosaur will be described from the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian) Deister Formation (Germany) by Sachs et al. (2018).^[230]
• The first Jurassic plesiosaur from Antarctica is described from the Upper Jurassic Ameghino (= Nordensköld) Formation (Antarctic Peninsula) by O’Gorman et al. (2018).^[231]
• Morphologically diverse pliosaurid teeth are described from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) of the Kheta river basin (Eastern Siberia, Russia) and from the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian and Valanginian) of the Volga region (European Russia) by Zverkov et al. (2018), who argue that their findings challenge the hypothesis that only one lineage of pliosaurids crossed the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary.^[232]
• A study on the morphology of the teeth and skull of Megacephalosaurus eulerti, and on their implications for assessing the phylogenetic relationships of this species, will be published by Madzia, Sachs & Lindgren (2018).^[233]
• Description of the skull bones of Abyssosaurus nataliae from the Cretaceous (Hauterivian) of Chuvashia (Russia) is published by Berezin (2018), who also revises the species diagnosis.^[234]
• A study on a specimen of Cryptoclidus eurymerus from the Middle Jurassic (Callovian) of Peterborough (United Kingdom), with the left forelimb injured by a predator causing the loss of use of this limb but which nevertheless survived for some time after that injury, is published by Rothschild, Clark & Clark (2018), who also evaluate the implications of this specimen for the various hypotheses on plesiosaur propulsion.^[235]
• A study on the range of motion of the neck of an exceptionally preserved specimen of Nichollssaura borealis is published by Nagesan, Henderson & Anderson (2018).^[236]
• A study on the morphology of Thililua longicollis and on the phylogenetic relationships of members of the family Polycotylidae is published by Fischer et al. (2018), who name a new clade Occultonectia.^[237]
• Two new plesiosaur specimens, including a specimen of the species Libonectes morgani (otherwise known from North American fossils), are described from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) deposits of Goulmima (Morocco) by Allemand et al. (2018).^[238]
• Description of a skull and partial postcranial skeleton of a juvenile elasmosaurid from the Upper Cretaceous Tahora Formation (New Zealand), referred to the species Tuarangisaurus keyesi, is published by Otero et al. (2018).^[239]
• Redescription of Aristonectes quiriquinensis, providing new information on the anatomy of this species, is published by Otero, Soto-Acuña & O'keefe (2018).^[240]
• Cranial material of a non-aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur is described from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation (Vega Island, Antarctica) by O'Gorman et al. (2018).^[241]
• New plesiosaur fossils will be described from the Barremian levels of the Arcillas de Morella Formation (Spain) by Quesada et al. (2018), including the first leptocleidid fossil reported from the Iberian Peninsula.^[242]

New taxa

Research

• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of living and fossil turtles is published by Evers & Benson (2018).^[248]
• A study on the changes in diversity of South American turtles from the Late Triassic to the present, and on major extinction events of South American turtles, will be published by Vlachos et al. (2018).^[249]
• A study on the Early and Middle Triassic turtle tracks and their implications for the origin of turtles is published by Lichtig et al. (2018).^[250]
• Fossil turtle footprints are described from the Triassic (Carnian) localities in eastern Spain by Reolid et al. (2018), who interpret the findings as indicating a freshwater semi-aquatic habit for some early turtles during the early Late Triassic.^[251]
• A clutch of 15 turtle eggs, found in close association with a partial skeleton of the dinosaur Mosaiceratops azumai, is described from the Upper Cretaceous Xiaguan Formation (China) by Jackson et al. (2018), who report that the size of these eggs exceeds that of all previously reported fossil turtle eggs.^[252]
• A study on the anatomy of the brain, inner ear, nasal cavity and skull nerves of Proganochelys quenstedti, and on its implications for inferring the sensory capabilities and ecology of the species and for the evolution of turtle brains is published by Lautenschlager, Ferreira & Werneburg (2018).^[253]
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Kallokibotion bajazidi based on well-preserved new fossil material is published by Pérez-García & Codrea (2018).^[254]
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of extant and fossil pleurodirans is published by Ferreira et al. (2018).^[255]
• A review of the araripemydid fossil record from Africa is published by Pérez-García (2018), who considers Laganemys tenerensis to be a junior synonym of Taquetochelys decorata.^[256]
• New fossil material of the bothremydid Algorachelus peregrinus, providing new information on the anatomy and intraspecific variability of the species, is described from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of the Arenas de Utrillas Formation (Spain) by Pérez-García (2018), who also transfers the species "Podocnemis" parva Haas (1978) and "Paiutemys" tibert Joyce, Lyson & Kirkland (2016) to the genus Algorachelus.^[257]
• A study on the anatomy of the shell of the bothremydid species Taphrosphys congolensis, and on its implications for inferring the taxonomic composition of the genus Taphrosphys, will be published by Pérez García, Mees & Smith (2018).^[258]
• A revision of bothremydid fossils in the lower Eocene British record, assigned to the species "Platemys" bowerbankii Owen (1842), "Emys" laevis Bell in Owen & Bell (1849), "Emys" delabechii Bell in Owen & Bell (1849), and "Emys" conybearii Owen (1858), is published by Pérez-García (2018), who interprets all this fossil material as representing a single species Palemys bowerbankii.^[259]
• A restudy of the type material of the Late Cretaceous pan-chelid Linderochelys rinconensis and a description of new fossils of the species is published by Jannello et al. (2018).^[260]
• Redescription of the Eocene chelid Hydromedusa casamayorensis based on twenty‐seven new specimens recovered from lower levels of the Sarmiento Formation (Argentina) and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species will be published by Maniel et al. (2018).^[261]
• A study on the skull innervation and circulation of Eubaena cephalica, based on data from a new specimen, is published by Rollot, Lyson & Joyce (2018).^[262]
• Fragmentary trionychid specimen is described from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian to Maastrichtian) Nanaimo Group (Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada) by Vavrek & Brinkman (2018), representing the first trionychid reported from Cretaceous deposits along the Pacific Coast of North America.^[263]
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships and body size evolution of extant and extinct tortoises will be published by Vlachos & Rabi (2018).^[264]
• Description of new specimens of the tortoise Manouria oyamai from the Pleistocene of the Okinawa Island (Japan) and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Takahashi, Hirayama & Otsuka (2018).^[265]
• A study on the sources of variation in the morphology of the carapaces of extant and fossil common box turtles (Terrapene carolina) is published by Vitek (2018).^[266]
• Redescription of the holotype of Rhinochelys amaberti from the Cretaceous (Albian) of France and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Scavezzoni & Fischer (2018).^[267]
• An isolated costal bone of a sea turtle is described from the Oligocene Dos Bocas Formation (Ecuador) by Cadena, Abella & Gregori (2018), representing the first record of Oligocene Pancheloniidae in South America.^[268]

New taxa