archelosauria
Archelosauria is a clade of reptiles that includes turtles and their extinct relatives, and birds and their extinct relatives, the dinosaurs. This grouping is based on a variety of anatomical and genetic evidence that suggests a close evolutionary relationship between these seemingly disparate groups. The name Archelosauria is derived from the Greek words "archelo" meaning turtle and "sauros" meaning lizard or reptile.
Within Archelosauria, two major lineages are recognized. One is Testudines, which encompasses all living turtles and
The placement of turtles within Archelosauria has been a subject of debate for some time. Earlier classifications