Vörös A. szerk.: Fragmenta Mineralogica Et Palaentologica 18. 1996. (Budapest, 1996)

The position of seams of the epidermal scutes on the second metaneural and pygal scute clearly argues for a batagurid, and not an emydid (cf. MLINARSKI 1976): the pygal is divided only by the vertical seam between the epidermal supracaudals, and the Fig. 1. The holotype of Clemmys mehelyi Kormos, 1911 (HGS 1889) in dorsal view seam between the last costal and the supracaudals is positioned on the second metaneural. Therefore, it is impossible that the fossil is of an Emys orbicularis (family Emydidae). However, the most obvious characters of HGS 1889 are the extremely broad vertebral scutes and the reduced, small costals. Such a condition is found only in species of three fossil turtle genera, Sakya, Sarmatemys and Clemmydopsis (cf. CHKHIKVADZE 1983, MLINARSKI 1976, 1980, MLINARSKI & SCHLEICH 1980), but not in any Recent genus. All three fossil genera are batagurids, as is Mauremys. Sakya can be excluded because the members of this genus possess 9-10 very narrow vertebrals ("Centralia" of MLINARSKI 1976, 1980), and a correspondingly high number of costals. Despite the fact that HGS 1889 represents only the hind part of a carapace, it is obvious that a complete shell would have had too few vertebrals and costals for Sakya. Sarmatemys is known only from the Middle Miocene of Moldavia, and, therefore, it is not probable that "Clemmys mehelyi" is a member of this genus. The remaining genus is Clemmydopsis. The compelling allocation of HGS 1889 to this genus has an important nomenclatural consequence. MLINARSKI (1980) and MLINARSKI & SCHLEICH (1980) recognize three Clemmydopsis species: Clemmydopsis sopronensis Boda, 1927 from Hungary and probably Austria (Lower Pannonian to Plio-Pleistocene border, according to MLINARSKI [1980]), Clemmydopsis steinheimensis (Staesche, 1931) from Germany (Sarmatian), and Clemmydopsis turnauensis (H. V. Meyer, 1847), recorded from Austria, Germany, and France (Badenian). "Clemmys mehelyi" must be identical with the youngest species, Clemmydopsis sopronensis, which is known already from