Validity of taxonomic changes for turtles proposed by Wells and Wellington

Abstract

The taxonomic changes proposed by Wells and Wellington (1985a, Australian J. Herpetol. Suppl. Ser. 1:1-61) are evaluated in light of the application of the fourth edition (1999) of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). Of their proposed names, only the genus Macrochelodina (for which we fix a new type species), and the species Elseya purvisi and Emydura worrelli (a synonym of Emydura subglobosa) represent available names. Their lectotype designation for Emydura victoriae is complicated by their choice of a specimen of Emydura macquarii and will require action by the ICZN to prevent a destabilization of these names. To prevent a similar problem, we herein designate a lectotype for Chelodina expansa.