Appalachemys ebersolei

Appalachemys ebersolei is a fossil aquatic turtle of the family Macrobaenidae which lived in fresh water habitats during the Santonian-Campanian boundary of the Late Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era (around 83 million years ago). It is notable for its size, measuring more than 31 inches from the front to the back of its carapace or upper shell.

Appalachmys ebersolei is known by a single fossil specimen found in east-central Alabama and held by the Alabama Museum of Natural History for more than 25 years. Due its size and the fact that it was found in a marine deposit, the fossil was mislabeled as a marine turtle of little interest. Curator James Parham made the realization that it was not a marine species. When he took a professorship at California State University, Fullerton he encouraged Andrew Gentry to continue studying the fossil. Caitlín R. Kiernan assisted in the research. The new species was named in honor of McWane Science Center collections director Jun Ebersole, honoring his contributions to Alabama paleontology.

References

• Gentry, Andrew D., Caitlín R. Kiernan & James F. Parham (August 19, 2022) "A large non-marine turtle from the Upper Cretaceous of Alabama and a review of North American “Macrobaenids”" The Anatomical Record
• Pillion, Dennis (August 19, 2022) "Alabama researchers discover ‘gigantic’ 83 million-year-old turtle species." The Birmingham News