| Carbonemys Temporal range: Danian |
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|---|---|
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| Live restoration of Carbonemys | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Testudines |
| Suborder: | Pleurodira |
| Family: | Podocnemididae |
| Genus: | †Carbonemys Cadena et al., 2012 |
| Type species | |
| †Carbonemys cofrinii Cadena et al., 2012 |
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Carbonemys is an extinct genus of pelomedusoid turtle known from the early Paleocene Cerrejón Formation of Colombia. It contains a single species, Carbonemys cofrinii.[1]
In 2005, a 60-million-year-old fossil specimen was discovered in a Colombian coal mine by a North Carolina State doctoral student named Edwin Cadena. It had a shell that measured about 1.72 metres (5 ft 8 in), making it one of the world's largest turtles.[2][3]
They lived 5 million years after the mass extinction event of many species of dinosaurs. Their jaws were massive and would be powerful enough to eat a crocodile.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ Cadena, E. A.; Ksepka, D. T.; Jaramillo, C. A.; Bloch, J. I. (2012). "New pelomedusoid turtles from the late Palaeocene Cerrejón Formation of Colombia and their implications for phylogeny and body size evolution". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 10 (2): 313. doi:10.1080/14772019.2011.569031.
- ^ "Researchers reveal ancient giant turtle fossil". Phys.Org. 17 May 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ Maugh II, Thomas H. (18 May 2012). "Researchers find fossil of a turtle that was size of a Smart car". LA Times. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
- ^ "Car-sized Turtle Found in Colombian Coal Mine : Discovery News". News.discovery.com. 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
Further reading[edit]
- Cadena, Edwin A., David T. Ksepka, Calos A. Jaramillo, and Jonathan I. Bloch. 2012. New pelomedusoid turtles from the late Palaeocene Cerrejón Formation of Colombia and their implications for phylogeny and body size evolution. Journal of Systematic Paleontology 10 (2): 313-331.