Bizarre prehistoric giant turtle was almost perfectly round
A newfound giant turtle that lived 60 million years ago in what is now northwestern South America would have been more than a mouthful for a neighboring predator, the world's largest snake Titanoboa.
The turtle's huge carapace, or shell, was nearly circular, like a tire, the researchers said.
The fossil turtle was discovered in Colombia's La Puente pit in the Cerrej贸n Coal Mine, made famous for its other treasures, including the extinct听Titanoboa cerrejonensis, two crocodile species,听听补苍诲Acherontisuchus guajiraensis, as well as two turtle species, the听听补苍诲 the听. (C. improcerus听would have been an easy meal for the 45-foot, or nearly 14 meters, Titanoboa snake, said researchers who discovered the 6- to 7-foot-long snake.)
狈补尘别诲听Puentemys mushaisaensis听after the pit where it was found, the turtle, whose shell would have extended 5 feet (1.5 m) across, adds to growing evidence that tropical reptiles ballooned after the dinosaurs were wiped out.
Even with its mouth wide open, Titanoboa wouldn't have been able to down this turtle, not whole at least. And its round, low-domed shape would have increased the surface area exposed to the sun to keep the cold-blooded turtle warm, said study researcher Carlos Jaramillo of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.
"The shell was far more rounded than a typical turtle," Jaramillo told LiveScience.
Various factors, including plentiful food, fewer predators, large habitat and climate change, would have worked together to allow turtles and other animals to reach such relatively gargantuan sizes, scientists have suggested.
For instance, the warm weather where would've been beneficial for听P.听mushaisaensis听补苍诲 other ectotherms that rely on their surroundings to regulate their body temperature.
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