Eileanchelys
Encyclopedia
Eileanchelys is an extinct genus of pond turtle
from the Middle Jurassic
period some 164 million years ago of Britain
. It was once the earliest swimming turtle known to science, and was thought to be an evolutionary bridge between early land turtle
s and sea turtle
s. But in 2008 the oldest turtle species known was announced, Odontochelys
, and it appears to have also been aquatic, 60 million years earlier. Only one species is recorded, Eileanchelys waldmani.
Pond turtle
Pond turtle may refer to:* Emydidae, a family of pond turtles** Emys, a genus of Emydidae*** European pond turtle *** Sicilian pond turtle *** Western pond turtle...
from the Middle Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period some 164 million years ago of Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. It was once the earliest swimming turtle known to science, and was thought to be an evolutionary bridge between early land turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s and sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
s. But in 2008 the oldest turtle species known was announced, Odontochelys
Odontochelys
Odontochelys semitestacea is an extinct turtle species, the oldest known one. It is the only known species in the genus Odontochelys and the family Odontochelyidae. O. semitestacea was first described from three 220 million year-old specimens excavated in Triassic deposits in Guizhou,...
, and it appears to have also been aquatic, 60 million years earlier. Only one species is recorded, Eileanchelys waldmani.
Sources
- Earliest Swimming Turtle Fossils Found -- New Species
- Science Centric | Blog | Earliest aquatic turtles discovered on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
- BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Ancient turtle discovered on Skye
- ‘Missing link’ turtle was swimming with dinosaurs
- Earliest aquatic turtles found in Scotland | Natural History Museum
- 'Missing link' turtle swam with dinosaurs - Europe - Independent.ie