Photo: ICRA_Arts
Sea turtles are an ancient animal.
Their relatives have roamed Earths waters for millions of years.
This exciting discovery was recently announced inScientific Reports.
Photo: ICRA_Arts
Part of an enormous pelvis and carapace were recently unearthed in the Cal Torrades region of Spain.
The bones are 80 million years old.
Spiny protrusions on the pelvis first indicated to paleontologists that they had discovered a new species of marine turtle.
Photo: ICRA_Arts
NamedLeviathanochelys aenigmatica, the giants skeleton indicates it may have measured 13 feet from head to toe.
The name references an enigma, a curious creature indeed.
Previously it was thought the largest ancient sea turtles lived in American waters.
This new discovery disrupts those ideas.
Perhaps other big discoveries will be next.
