In order to investigate the genetic divergence and phylogeny of turtles，mitochondrial DNA 16SrRNA gene segment sequences of 13 turtle individuals were obtained by PCR amplification and sequencing. 16SrRNA sequences of other 47 turtles from NCB were downloaded and its phylogenetic characters were analyzed together with their own 13 sequences. The results were as follows：480 bp consensus sequences of 16SrRNA were obtained from these 60 sequences after aligned. Twenty hundreds and twenty nine variable sites were detected in all turtle individuals，accounting for 47.7% of total variable sites，with 186 parsim-informative and 80 indels. The average contents of A，T，G，and C were 33.6%，24.3%，18.5%，and 23.7%，respectively. The Ts：Tv ratio was 1.95. The K-2-P distances between the seven hinged turtles were 0.0040.063，with average value 0.03; between 17 genus within Geoemydidae 0.0530.120，with average 0.091; and between 8 families within Cryptodira (excluding Platysternon megacephalum) 0.0710.259，with average 0.169. The results indicate that family Emydidae is the sister taxon to Geoemydidae plus Testudinidae，and Geoemydidae is closer to Testudinidae compared to Emydidae; the taxonomica status of Chinemys should be revised，and classified into Genus Mauremys，and that Pyxidea should be classified into Cuora; the results do not support the idea that the genus Cuora should be divided into two genera as Cuora and Cistoclemmys.