Eosphargis
| Eosphargis Temporal range: Late Paleocene to Early Eocene,
| |
|---|---|
| Eosphargis breineri skull cast at the University of Copenhagen Geological Museum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Cryptodira |
| Family: | Dermochelyidae |
| Genus: | †Eosphargis Lydekker, 1889 |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Eosphargis (from Greek eos, meaning "dawn", and sphargis, the Greek word for the leatherback turtle) is an extinct genus of sea turtles from the late Paleocene and early Eocene of western Europe and eastern North America. It is a member of the family Dermochelyidae, which also includes the modern leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), of which it is the earliest known definitive member.