![]() As previously stated, turtles are classified as reptiles.Turtles are classed as part of the Animalia kingdom, which is further divided into the phylum Chordata, distinguished by the spinal cord’s existence.The turtle-tortoise pair is classified as a reptile. Although turtles and tortoises are members of the same order, they are of different genera and species.They are the order of creatures that have a natural shell on their body. Turtles and tortoises are in the same order, Testudines (Chelonia is another name for the Testudines).According to evolutionary research, the earliest members of this group date back to the Middle Jurassic.Turtles are classified as reptiles since they are the oldest extant reptile species on the earth, even older than snakes and crocodiles. ![]() Many fossils have been found in North American Cretaceous strata. As a result, their remains are discovered regularly in Jurassic and younger sedimentary layers.Furthermore, they are frequently found in wet or marshy areas, where their bones are likely to be buried and preserved. Turtles are enormous animals with a lot of bones.The (neck) vertebrae were primitive in that they had not changed to allow the head to retract into the shell.The endangered Kemp’s Ridley marine turtle has eight cervical vertebrae (Lepidochelys kempii). However, there were little teeth in the palate, which are uncommon in living turtles.The skull was securely built, with no temporal holes, and the jaws were toothless and likely beaked, as in contemporary turtles. The oldest fossil turtles had a carapace with ten vertebrae, their corresponding ribs, and extra bone between them.The shell of prehistoric creatures, like those of contemporary turtles, was made up of a rounded top half (or carapace) and a flattened bottom half (plastron).These ancient turtles lived on land or in marshes and had a 3 ft (1m) shell length. They discovered the first fossil turtles (Proganochelys) in Germany’s late Triassic (Norian) sedimentary strata.Turtles, which saw minimal alteration, watched the emergence of birds from feathered dinosaurs and the evolution of certain early mammals into elephants, whales, bats, and even humans.Turtles already existed when the first dinosaurs arose, sharing the ancient oceans with ichthyosaurs, seeing pterosaurs fly overhead, and witnessing the appearance of the first little, hairy animals.This means they have a long fossil history than any other surviving four-legged mammal. Turtles first occur in the fossil record 215 million years ago, during the Triassic epoch.Key Facts & Information ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION See the fact file below for more information on the Turtle, or you can download our 37-page Turtle worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment. The shell comprises cartilage that grows from the ribs and wraps around the body. The existence of the shelled structure distinguishes the turtle-tortoise pair. Turtles are the planet’s oldest reptile group, outliving snakes and crocodiles. All tortoises are turtles, yet not all turtles are tortoises. The turtle is classified as a shelled reptile creature. What is the biggest turtle in the world?.What are the different types of turtles?.
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