Palaeoamyda Temporal range: Middle Eocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Palaeoamyda messeliana from Messel Pit Fossil Site at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Family:	Trionychidae
Subfamily:	Trionychinae
Genus:	†Palaeoamyda Cadena, 2016
Species:	†P. messeliana
Binomial name
†Palaeoamyda messeliana (Reinach 1900)

Palaeoamyda is an extinct genus of softshell turtle belonging to the family Trionychidae. Remains have been found in the Eocene of Germany.

Karl (1998) considered Palaeoamyda a synonym of Rafetoides austriacus (Peters, 1858), but subsequent re-description of the material showed that it was a distinct genus in its own right.^[1]

Palaeoamyda is a three-clawed soft-shell turtle that can reach a length of about two feet. It is the largest species of turtles of Messel Pit Fossil Site. The carapace and plastron are not connected by bony prominences and the plastron shows bony plates reduced to small protrusions.

• H.-V. Karl - Zur Taxonomie der känozoischen Weichschildkröten Österreichs und Deutschlands (Trionychidae: Trionychinae).- Mitt. Geol. Und Paläont. Landesmuseum Joanneum, 56: 273- 328; Graz (1998).
• M. Morlo, S. Schaal, G. Mayr, C. Seiffert - Annotated taxonomic list of the Middle Eocene Vertebrata of Messel (2004)
• Colin Tudge Uncovering Our Earliest Ancestor
• Natuur informatie
• Hans-Volker Karl Jurnal Article

v t e Trionychidae family
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Subclass: Anapsida Order: Testudines Superfamily: Trionychia
Genera	Species of the Trionychidae family
Amyda	Asiatic softshell turtle †Amyda gregaria Amyda ornata
Apalone	Florida softshell turtle Smooth softshell turtle Spiny softshell turtle
†Axestemys	†Axestemys byssina †Axestemys cerevisia †Axestemys montinsana †Axestemys quinni †Axestemys splendida †Axestemys vittata
Chitra	Asian narrow-headed softshell turtle Burmese narrow-headed softshell turtle Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle
Cyclanorbis	Nubian flapshell turtle Senegal flapshell turtle
Cycloderma	Aubry's flapshell turtle Zambezi flapshell turtle
Dogania	Malayan softshell turtle
†Gilmoremys	†Gilmoremys gettyspherensis †Gilmoremys lancensis
†Hutchemys	†Hutchemys arctochelys †Hutchemys rememdium †Hutchemys tetanetron †Hutchemys sterea †Hutchemys acupictus
†Khunnuchelys	†Khunnuchelys erinhotensis †Khunnuchelys kizylkumensis †Khunnuchelys lophorhothon
Lissemys	Burmese flapshell turtle Indian flapshell turtle Sri Lankan flapshell turtle
Nilssonia	Black softshell turtle Burmese peacock softshell Indian softshell turtle Indian peacock softshell turtle Leith's softshell turtle
†Palaeoamyda	†Palaeoamyda messeliana
Palea	Wattle-necked softshell turtle
Pelochelys	Asian giant softshell turtle New Guinea giant softshell turtle Northern New Guinea giant softshell turtle
Pelodiscus	Chinese softshell turtle Hunan softshell turtle Lesser Chinese softshell turtle Northern Chinese softshell turtle Spotted softshell turtle
Rafetus	Euphrates softshell turtle Yangtze giant softshell turtle
Trionyx	African softshell turtle †Trionyx ikoviensis †Trionyx kansaiensis
Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2017 update: Annotated checklist and atlas of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution, and conservation status. †=extinct.