Proganochelys | 3D Dinopedia

Proganochelys

Period of life:

about 210 million years ago

Period:

Triassic period

Habitat:

Lakes and marshes

Taxonomy:

Turtles and tortoises

Height:

0.27 m

Countries:

Triassic period Proganochelys | 3D Dinopedia

Proganochelys (about 210 million years ago)

Meaning of the name: "The first bright turtle." From the Greek word genos ("brightness"), the prefix pro ("before") and chelys ("turtle").

Proganochelys is a true icon among ancient reptiles. Imagine a turtle about a meter in size, covered with a strong shell and armed with spikes on its tail. This amazing inhabitant of Earth lived in the late Triassic, about 210 million years ago, and is considered one of the earliest representatives of the turtle order. Fossils of Proganochelys have been found in Germany, Greenland, and Thailand, indicating its widespread distribution in the north of the continent of Pangaea.

Visually, Proganochelys largely resembled modern turtles: it had a strong shell formed by fused bone plates and ribs, and a beak instead of teeth. However, unlike modern species, Proganochelys could not retract its head into its shell, and its long tail was crowned with a mace-like structure, reminiscent of a medieval knight's weapon. This mace likely served as protection against the many predators of the Triassic period. Interestingly, Proganochelys had small teeth on its palate, although none were present on its jaws. Its diet presumably consisted of vegetation, as suggested by the structure of its mouth apparatus, resembling a beak with small teeth on the palate.

Proganochelys was named by Georg Baur in 1887. This discovery revolutionized the understanding of turtle evolution, providing new data on the structure and lifestyle of ancient species. Proganochelys was long considered the oldest known turtle until the discovery of Odontochelys, an even earlier representative of the order. Nevertheless, Proganochelys remains an important link in turtle evolution, demonstrating how these animals acquired their unique shell and other characteristic features.

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