Fossil 'thick shell turtle' discovered in Columbia

A newly discovered fossil turtle in Columbia, the strange thing is that its shell is about the same as a 400-page book, which protects the body from attacks by predators like crocodiles and species. The world's largest snake.

Fossil 'thick shell turtle' Cerrejonemys wayuunaiki was discovered at Columbia.Photo: Edwin Cadena

Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and the Museum of Natural History in the state of Florida have found the 'thick-shell turtle' fossil at Cerrejón coal mine in Columbia. This fossilized turtle shell is dated to 60 million years old, the shell is 3.8cm thick and the apricot width reaches nearly 1m. The tortoise is named Cerrejonemys wayuunaiki in the language of Wayuu locals in Columbia.

Previously, scientists also discovered giant snake fossils, whose scientific name is Titanoboa cerrejonensis , at the same site as 'thick-shell turtle' Cerrejonemys wayuunaiki . Titrejonensis Titanoboa snake has a body length of 12.2 - 15.24m, while the longest Python snake reticulatus in the world exists today is only nearly 9m long.

The illustration of South American tropical rainforest life 60 million years ago, including the world's largest ancient snake species Titanoboa cerrejonensis.Photo: Jason Bourque

'Fossils from Cerrejón coal mine, Columbia provide a vivid picture of South American rainforest life 60 million years ago after the extinction disaster at the end of the Cretaceous and before the Andes Mountains. , the modern Amazon basin and the isthmus (isthmus) connecting the North and South America regions were formed , 'said scientist Carlos Jarmillo, working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

The discovery was published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology).