Galianemys whitei (sideneck turtle)
Order Testudines, Suborder Pleurodira, Superfamily Pelomedusoides, Family Bothremydidae
Geological Time: Upper Cretaceous
Size: length is 21 inches around the curve
Fossil Site: Tegana Formation, Kem Kem Morocco
Fossil Code: MTU1
Price: $2650.00
When
we hear of the Cretaceous Tegana Formation in Morocco, Dinosaurs come to
mind, especially the bigger than T-Rex, fierce Carcharodontosuarus saharicus.
But other creatures more docile, such as this turtle, shared this Upper
Cretaceous habitat. The earliest turtles are believed to date to the Permian.
At 21 inches around the curve, even Carcharodontosuarus would have found this ancient Testudine a satisfying snack. The fossil is all original, as unearthed in the field, with no repair or restoration.
Ref: Galianemys, a New Side-Necked Turtle (Pelomedusoides, Bothremydidae) from the Late Cretaceous of Morocco. Gaffney, Tong, and Meylan. 2002. American Museum of Natural History Novitates 3379. 20 pp.
