Titanochelon
Titanochelon is an extinct genus of giant tortoises known from the Early Miocene to the beginning of the Pleistocene in Europe, extending from the Iberian Peninsula to Anatolia. Some members of the genus were larger than extant giant tortoises, with a shell length of up to 2 metres. Taxonomy. There are approximately 10 known species in the genus, most of which were originally assigned to "Testudo" (a genus which formally encompassed almost all fossil tortoises) or "Cheirogaster," the type species of which, "Cheirogaster maurini" is known from the Eocene of France and is quite different to the species assigned  to "Titanochelon". After a major systematic revision in 2014, the genus "Titanochelon" was created to house these related species. The species ""Testudo" gymnesica" from the Lower Pliocene-Lower Pleistocene of the Balearic Islands may be attributable to this genus, but the taxon displays notable differences from the species assigned to "Titanochelon". Remains from the Pleistocene of Malta are also possibly attributable to this genus. Evolutionary history. Phylogenetic analyses have recovered "Titanochelon" as most closely related to "Stigmochelys" (the leopard tortoise), which is native to Africa, suggesting the genus has an African origin. Fossils have been recovered from across Europe beginning  in the Early Miocene from Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Bulgaria, and Anatolia. The youngest known defintiive remains of the genus are known from the Early Pleistocene Fonelas P-1 site of Granada in southern Spain, dating to around 2.0 million years ago. Their extinction was likely related to climatic cooling due to the onset of glaciation at the beginning of the Pleistocene.