South American turtle was as big as a car and males had built-in lances, according to scientists.
One of the largest turtles that ever lived prowled the lakes and rivers of northern South America from about 13 million years ago to 7 million years ago — and this car-sized, freshwater beast was built for battle.Its diverse diet included fish, snakes and vegetablesScientists in the United States say they have unearthed new fossils of the turtle, calledFor the first time, they provide a comprehensive understanding of the big reptile, which was up to 4 metres long and 1.13 tonnes in weight.
Deep scars detected in the fossils indicated that these horns may have been used as a lance for fighting with otherFighting occurs among certain turtles alive today, particularly between male tortoises, according to palaeontologist Edwin Cadena of the Universidad del Rosario in Bogota, who led the research published in the journal Science Advances., which lived roughly 70 million years ago at the end of the age of dinosaurs, and reached about 4.6 meters in length.
was huge and heavy. The largest individuals of this species were about the size and length of a sedan automobile, if we take into account the head, neck, shell and limbs," Cadena said. "Its diet was diverse including small animals — fishes, caimans, snakes — as well as molluscs and vegetation, particularly fruits and seeds.
"Putting together all the anatomical features of this species indicates that its lifestyle was mostly in the bottom of large freshwater bodies, including lakes and large rivers," Cadena added., meaning stupendous turtle, inhabited a colossal wetlands system spanning Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Peru before the Amazon and Orinoco rivers were formed.Its large size may have been crucial in defending against formidable predators.
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