Giant Turtle Killer

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Giant Turtle Killer- the size and fate of a 4.2 million year old turtle





I am a giant turtle and I lived 4.2million years ago.
You can see that I was really big. Stretch the curve shown below to a half circle and you will see I was a giant.

While I struggle to move around on land due to my big shell, the shell is nearly weightless in water because it is nearly the same density as water.
How is this possible?
Well if you look closely I have a scaly solid top surface and a shiny smooth bottom surface with a spongy layer in between.
The spongy layer hold bubbles of air that help lift me up until I weigh next to nothing in the water.

So I am slow on the land but pretty speedy in the water!



As a fossil I am found as pieces not much bigger that you can see.



What broke me up?
The answer is that I was eaten by an even bigger crocodile!
You can see my scaly outer surface scratched by a sliding crocodile tooth mark.
Lots of crocodile teeth were found in the same place and they fit the dent in my shell.

You can always identify turtle fossils, scaly outside, spongy centre , smooth inside.
Often you see the rEmains of a leg hole on the inside.



Want to know more about aquatic fossils read our article in FOSSIL WHALES