In Depth Itilochelys is a genus of turtle that lived in the waters over what is now Russia during the Palaeocene. Further Reading – Itilochelys rasstrigin gen. et sp. nov., a new hard-shelled sea turtle (Cheloniidae sensu lato) from the Lower Palaeocene of Volgograd Province, Russia. – Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RSA 314(1):24-41. – … Read more
In Depth Gamerabaena is a genus of baenid turtle that lived in North America towards the end of the Cretaceous period. Gamerabaena is named after the fictional kaiju Gamera, a gigantic turtle-like monster that has featured in a whole series of Japanese monster films in a similar fashion as Godzilla. Further Reading - A new … Read more
In Depth When first described from fossil skulls, Meiolania was first thought to have been a lizard, hence the name which means ‘small roamer’. This is a reflection to the earlier description of Megalania (today known as Varanus priscus) which means great roamer and was also named by Owen in 1859. In time however it … Read more
In Depth Megalochelys is one of the largest tortoises ever to walk the earth. Individuals of Megalochelys can vary greatly in size, though the largest species M. atlas, (formerly a distinct genus known as Colossochelys), is known to have had an upper shell size approaching just over two meters in length. This large size meant … Read more
In Depth Sahonachelys is a genus of side-necked turtle that lived in Madagascar during the late Cretaceous. The name Sahonachelys means ‘frog turtle’, a reference to the frog-like appearance of the face. Sahonachelys is thought to have been a specialised suction feeder. This is evidenced by upper and lower jaw surfaces that face each other, … Read more
In Depth Riodevemys is a genus of turtle that lived in Spain during the late Jurassic. Further Reading - A new European Late Jurassic pleurosternid (Testudines, Paracryptodira) and a new hypothesis of paracryptodiran phylogeny. - Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 13(4):351-369. - A. P�rez-Garc�a, R. Royo-Torres & A. Cobos - 2014.
In Depth Euclastes is a genus of marine cryptodiran turtle that lived from the late cretaceous to the early Paleocene. Euclastes is noted for having a partial secondary palate, and a mouth suited for crushing the shells of armoured animals such as crustaceans and shelled molluscs. A former species, E. hutchisoni, has now been reassigned … Read more
In Depth Liaochelys is a genus of cryptodiran turtle that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new eucryptodiran turtle from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China. - Zootaxa 2676:45-56. - C. -F. Zhou - 2010.
In Depth Polysternon is a genus of bothremydid turtle that is known to have lived in Western Europe during the latest stages of the Cretaceous. Further Reading - The youngest species of Polysternon: A new bothremydid turtle from the uppermost Maastrichtian of the southern Pyrenees. - Cretaceous Research 35: 133–142 - J. Marmi, �.H. Luj�n, … Read more
In Depth Ashleychelys is a genus of sea turtle that lived during the Miocene. Further Reading - Oligocene Pancheloniid Sea Turtles from the Vicinity of Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(1):80-99. - R. E. Weems & A. E. Sanders - 2014.