A New Stem Turtle From The Middle Jurassic Of Scotland: New Insights On The Evolution And Palaeoecology Of Basal Turtles

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 21 Nov 2008 - 2:00 PST

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The Isle of Skye, Scotland, has yielded the remains of a new species of primitive turtle, Eileanchelys waldmani.

Eileanchelys dates from the Middle Jurassic period (164 million years old) and is represented by multiple skulls and shells: it is the most complete turtle known from this time interval. Its anatomy bridges a major morphological gap that existed between the earliest turtles and modern groups, offering important new information on the evolution of the turtle skull.

In addition, some features suggest that Eileanchelys may have been the first aquatic turtle, offering a novel insight into the ecology of these animals.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences