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Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle - Science/Technology - Nairaland

Nairaland ForumScience/TechnologyCar-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle (52207 Views)

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Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Nobody: 5:05am On Feb 15, 2020
One of the largest turtles that ever lived prowled the lakes and rivers of northern South America from about 13 million years ago to 7 million years ago - and this car-sized freshwater beast was built for battle.

Scientists said on Wednesday they have unearthed new fossils of the turtle, called Stupendemys geographicus, in Colombia’s Tatacoa Desert and Venezuela’s Urumaco region that for the first time provide a comprehensive understanding of the big reptile, which got up to 13 feet (4 meters) long and 1.25 tons in weight.

Stupendemys males, unlike the females, boasted sturdy front-facing horns on both sides of the carapace - or shell - very close to the neck. Deep scars detected in the fossils indicated that these horns may have been used like a lance for fighting with other Stupendemys males over mates or territory.

Fighting occurs among certain turtles alive today, particularly between male tortoises, according to paleontologist Edwin Cadena of the Universidad del Rosario in Bogota, who led the research published in the journal Science Advances.

Stupendemys is the second-largest known turtle, behind seagoing Archelon, which lived roughly 70 million years ago at the end of the age of dinosaurs and reached about 15 feet (4.6 meters) in length.

The first Stupendemys fossils were found in the 1970s but many mysteries remained about the animal. The new fossils included the largest-known turtle shell - 9.4 feet (2.86 meters) long, even larger than Archelon’s shell - and the first lower jaw remains, which gave clues about its diet.

“Stupendemys geographicus was huge and heavy. The largest individuals of this species were about the size and length of a sedan automobile if we take into account the head, neck, shell and limbs,” Cadena said.

“Its diet was diverse including small animals - fishes, caimans, snakes - as well as mollusks and vegetation, particularly fruits and seeds. Putting together all the anatomical features of this species indicates that its lifestyle was mostly in the bottom of large freshwater bodies including lakes and large rivers,” Cadena added.

Stupendemys - meaning “stupendous turtle” - inhabited a colossal wetlands system spanning Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Peru before the Amazon and Orinoco rivers were formed.

Its large size may have been crucial in defending against formidable predators. It shared the environment with giant crocodilians including the 36-foot-long (11-meter-long) caiman Purussaurus and the 33-foot-long (10-meter-long) gavial relative Gryposuchus. One of the Stupendemys fossils was found with a two-inch-long (5 cm) croc tooth embedded in it.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-turtle/car-sized-prehistoric-south-american-turtle-was-built-for-battle-idUSKBN2062V2

Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by yanabasee(m): 6:50am On Feb 15, 2020
Very soon, they will discover a fossil of a gigantic human of 20-30ft tall that lived on earth 2billion years ago......
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by uzohrome(m): 2:26pm On Feb 15, 2020
Great job
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by babzo(m): 2:26pm On Feb 15, 2020
Nigerians whats going on? Why can't find and preserve our own artifacts?
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Sirheny007(m):
The other one was 330,000,000 years ago.
This one is 13,000,000 years ago.
Please,
How accurate is carbon dating?
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by namiji2598: 2:27pm On Feb 15, 2020
can that help them fight against coranaVIRUS when it hits their country??
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Dobson43: 2:27pm On Feb 15, 2020
grin


Built for war indeed. Na punna e dey fight for
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Seventy7kings: 2:27pm On Feb 15, 2020
undecided ayam not understanding
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by drips8(m): 2:27pm On Feb 15, 2020
The earth really has a huge and interesting history.
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by ozueozue(m): 2:28pm On Feb 15, 2020
Honestly, ehhh God create oh. But human activities don ruin every thing
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by ct2: 2:28pm On Feb 15, 2020
God is great
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by babzo(m): 2:28pm On Feb 15, 2020
yanabasee:
Very soon, they will discover a fossil of a gigantic human of 20-30ft tall that lived on earth 2billion years ago......
They might have already found some. Possible descendants of the giants mentioned in Genesis 6. They were probably 9ft tall.
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by NeoWanZaeed(m): 2:29pm On Feb 15, 2020
Science is fiction.
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by sellers4buyers(m): 2:29pm On Feb 15, 2020
Nice one, people trying to answer the question how do we get here.
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Nobody: 2:29pm On Feb 15, 2020
Them dey chop the thing? Customer that's all we know
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Kingpele(m): 2:29pm On Feb 15, 2020
grin
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by darfay: 2:30pm On Feb 15, 2020
All this so called millions of years wey just dey fly about like say na 1 minute
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Sirheny007(m): 2:30pm On Feb 15, 2020
babzo:
They might have already found some. Possible descendants of the giants mentioned in Genesis 6. They were probably 9ft tall.
20billion years ago?
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by helinues: 2:30pm On Feb 15, 2020
Wow
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Monaco2(m): 2:30pm On Feb 15, 2020
Soso exaggerate una Dey exaggerate, millions of years ago undecided
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Chronicle222: 2:32pm On Feb 15, 2020
I no dey put my mouth for watin i no know
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Giditrends(m): 2:34pm On Feb 15, 2020
Booked
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Kayleb01: 2:34pm On Feb 15, 2020
Nice....

Car-sized punkass
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by MedicH: 2:35pm On Feb 15, 2020
abummrbet9ja1:
LET'S DESTROY B.E.T.9.J.A.
Has it destroyed you already
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by EternalYouth(m): 2:35pm On Feb 15, 2020
How do these people determine the age of the ancient object? And they can't determine the true age of cheating under 17 years, footballer from Africa.
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by govomotors: 2:36pm On Feb 15, 2020
The things I don't like is telling me 13 or 70 million years ago. Who will I asked to confirm if this is true or false.

Even with our eyes open, we have been told no more BH in the dreaded forest after tactically defeating them
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by shangodele974(m): 2:36pm On Feb 15, 2020
Make Una dy give us bobo
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by DirtyGold: 2:37pm On Feb 15, 2020
Until they discover the gate of hell, I'm not impressed! cool

What's tha business?
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by ccollins(m): 2:37pm On Feb 15, 2020
Sirheny007:
The other one was 330,000,000 million years ago.
This one is 13,000,000million years ago.
Please,
How accurate is carbon dating?
0% ,only the Bible is accurate devoid of error and has all animal human historical antiquities
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by money121(m): 2:39pm On Feb 15, 2020
Ok
Re: Car-Sized Prehistoric South American Turtle Was Built For Battle by Mrlazarus: 2:39pm On Feb 15, 2020
Sirheny007:
The other one was 330,000,000 million years ago.
This one is 13,000,000million years ago.
Please,
How accurate is carbon dating?
I still Dey wonder oo!
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