Scientists in Spain discovered a turtle about 4 meters long. The respective species are named Leviathanochelys aenigmatica🇧🇷 Archaeologists believe that the animal was hiding beneath the surface around 80 million years ago.
The ancient remains, which were found in the Spanish city of Cal Torrades (more precisely in the marine sediments of the Middle Campanian in the Southern Pyrenees) include the pelvis of the turtle and parts of its carapace.
The unique pelvic skeleton indicates that the find represents a new class of turtle, as this strange feature has not been observed in the remains of other species. The authors suggest that its function may have to do with the unique anatomy of the respiratory system.
Until now, the scientific community believed that the largest sea turtles that prowled the oceans, such as the protostegids Archelon and Protostega, were restricted to North America during the last Cretaceous period.
“Discovery of a new, gigantic and strange cloney Leviathanochelys aenigmatica It sheds light on the diversity of sea turtles and how the phenomenon of gigantism in these groups was also occurring in Europe.”
Previously, a joint study between Newcastle University (UK), Yale, MIT (US) found A new species of giant tortoiseMore specifically, the Galapagos tortoise, in the archipelago of the same name.
source: Scientific reports Across IFL Science
