Two fossilized turtle fossils merge after 160 years

American paleontologists have recently identified two broken bone fragments discovered 160 years apart from the fossil part of a sea turtle.

Two half bones of the front leg of the giant sea turtle Atlantochelys mortoni.(Photo: UPI)

UPI said that half of the broken front leg bone of the giant sea turtle was discovered underneath the sand dune in Monmouth, in the state of New Jersey, USA, in the 1840s.

The discovery of fossils helps scientists identify a new species of sea turtles whose scientific name is Atlantochelys mortoni . The fossil section is then on display at Drexel University's museum.

Recently, researchers have discovered other broken bone fossils associated with a sea turtle. According to research results, this fossil match perfectly when paired with half-bones found more than 160 years ago.

"When we put two bone halves together, we felt very surprised," said the BBC, quoted by paleontologist Ted Daeschler of Drexel National Academy of Sciences.

According to the team, these two halves belong to a sea turtle and they are buried in sediments from the Cretaceous period, about 70-75 million years ago.

This discovery may provide some important information about the life of sea turtles millions of years ago.