New genus of giant European land turtles

New genus of giant European land turtles

The collection in the Hall of Turtles at the University of Salamanca serves to analyse the origin of giant terrestrial turtles that once lived in Europe.

Researchers at the University of Salamanca and UNED have published an article describing a new genera of giant terrestrial turtle thanks to the 40 million year old fossils found in the fields of Mazatern (Soria) in the 1990s, which have been preserved until now in the Hall of Turtles at USAL. The new genera is named Pelorochelon, and the example used as the holotype, in other words, a reference for the genera, is from the Pelorochelon soriana species, which reaches a length of 70 centimetres. The discovery has also served to reveal the existence of a new genera of giant turtle in France, named Fontainechelon.

New genus of giant European land turtles
New genus of giant European land turtles

 

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