The turtle jurásica of Portugal

A group of scientists of Spain with the professor of palaeontology Francisco Ortega (UNED) in command has attained to find a turtle jurásica in Portugal that receives the interesting title to be the most ancient turtle known of all Europe.

This turtle that belongs to the family of Hylaeochelys calculates that it can have some 145 million years, that is to say, belongs to the period jurásico. Until the moment, the European turtle more ancient known dated of does some 140 million years and proceeded of England; specifically it developed during the cretácico inferior.

One of the most interesting appearances that obtain from this discovery is that we will have the possibility to know better how was the Iberian Peninsula then.

This turtle has an approximate measure of half metre of long and his shell is very characteristic due to the fact that it is quite rounded.

The reason by which carried out this investigation is due to the fact that in the year 2011 found in Carry do Barrel of Mafra the shell of a turtle that could be dated quickly giving place to think that in the actuality could exist exemplary that defended of the same species, since until the moment did not think that they could have in all Spain.

Thanks to this had the opportunity to discover that the shell of this turtle belonged to the family of the Hylaeochelys that originariamente considered that they belonged to England. Nevertheless, the fact to find these copies in Spain does to pose the theories that were in force until the moment.

Beyond all doubt a fantastic form to be able to know how was the life in the peninsula does several million years.