A new pelomedusoid turtle, , from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar provides evidence for convergent evolution of specialized suction feeding among pleurodires.

The Maevarano Formation in northwestern Madagascar has yielded a series of exceptional fossils over the course of the last three decades that provide important insights into the evolution of insular ecosystems during the latest Cretaceous (Maastrichtian). We here describe a new genus and species of pelomedusoid turtle from this formation, , based on a nearly complete skeleton. A phylogenetic analysis suggests close affinities of with the coeval Madagascan . These two taxa are the only known representatives of the newly recognized clade , which is sister to the speciose clade formed by and . A close relationship with coeval Indian turtles of the clade is notably absent. A functional assessment suggests that was a specialized suction feeder that preyed upon small-bodied invertebrates and vertebrates. This is a unique feeding strategy among crown pelomedusoids that is convergent upon that documented in numerous other clades of turtles and that highlights the distinct evolutionary pathways taken by Madagascan vertebrates.