This volume celebrates the contributions of Dr. Eugene Gaffney to the study of turtles, through a diverse and complementary collection of papers that showcases the latest research on one of the most intriguing groups of reptiles. A mix of focused and review papers deals with numerous aspects of the evolutionary history of turtles, including embryonic development, origins, early diversification, phylogenetic relationships, and biogeography. Moreover it includes reports on important but poorly understood fossil turtle assemblages, provides historical perspectives on turtle research, and documents disease and variation in turtles. With its broad scope, which includes descriptions of material and new taxa from Australia, Asia, and Europe, as well as North and South America, this work will be an essential resource for anyone interested in the morphology and evolution of turtles.

Part I. Perspectives on the Life and Accomplishments of Eugene S. Gaffney.- Part II. The Origin of Turtles.- Part III.  The Early Diversification of Turtles.- Part IV.  Pleurodire Diversity and Biogeography.- Part V.  Diversity, Biogeography, and Paleobiology of Late Cretaceous and Tertiary Turtles.- Part VI. Pathologies, Anomalies, and Variation in Turtle Skeletons.¿