Car-sized turtle fossil discovered

The BBC reported the discovery of a turtle fossil that was the size of a passenger car. The unusual find was made in the northern part of South America, the BBC website reported.

The findings of scientists studying the find confirm that the tortoise, measuring 4 metres and belonging to the species Stupendemys geographicus, lived in this area between 13 and 7 million years ago. Fossils of representatives of this species have been found in the Tatacoa desert in Colombia and in the Urumaco region of neighbouring Venezuela.

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The first fossils of giant tortoises were discovered as early as the 1970s, but many mysteries about these extraordinary animals still remain to be uncovered. We know that tortoises were about the size and weight of a passenger car and inhabited huge wetlands in the north of South America, even before the Amazon and Orinoco rivers were created.

The male was thought to have forward-facing horns on either side of the shell. Deep scars discovered on the fossils studied indicate that the horns were probably used as a means of fighting off rivals. The fossils found have also given scientists some clues about the diet of giant tortoises.

Researchers believe that these giant creatures lived at the bottom of lakes and rivers, adjacent to giant crocodiles, and that their diet was varied and the turtles had a variety of small animals in their menu, as well as many plants, fruits and seeds.

The great size of Stupendemys was crucial in defending itself against other large predators living during the same period. This is evidenced by traces such as a giant crocodile tooth stuck in a turtle fossil.

It is a great pity that these great creatures have not lived to see our times. An underwater encounter with such a colossus would certainly be an unforgettable experience for any diver.

Source: bbc.com