Report by Swasti Sharma
Scientists have discovered fossilized remains of a sea turtle species.
The remains were found in Cal Torrades, Spain.
The fossil is about 12.27 feet (3.74 meters) in length and about 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) in weight.
It has the size of a small car like a Mini Cooper. The newly discovered species has been named Leviathanochelys aenigmatica. They lived during the Cretaceous period (final chapter in age of dinosaurs).
66 to 100 million years ago, this species lived in the seas surrounding the North American continent. According to the researchers, L. aenigmatica is the largest known turtle in Europe.
It was larger than leatherback sea turtles (the largest turtle species living till now, they are approximately 2 metres long).
They unearthed the fossils of L. aenigmatica in Coll de Nargo in Catalonia’s Alt Urgell country after a hiker in the Southern Pyrenees (mountain range between Spain and France) mountains noticed some bones penetrating out from the ground. After this, researchers have found the posterior portion (bottom part) of the turtle’s carapace (Shell).
Beside this, they found most of its pelvic part. But they didn’t find any skull, tail or limbs.
The fossils show that the turtle had a smooth shell (similar to leatherback turtles). It rarely returned to land, it returned just to lay eggs. But its bony bulges on the front side of the pelvis are different from any known sea turtle, which indicates it is a fully new sea turtle species.
It’s large size and different pelvis are related to its respiratory system.
Image credits: ICRA Arts /Museu de la Conca Dellà – Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont