Researchers uncover fossil remains of world’s largest known turtle
The giant turtles roamed a humid, swampy swath of northern South America some five to ten million years ago.
Keystone / Chaime Chirionos
Paleobiologists from the University of Zurich (UZH) have discovered the fossils of an extinct giant freshwater turtle that weighed a ton and had a shell nearly three metres long in northern South America.
The turtle’s impressive size may make it “one of the largest, if not the largest turtle that ever existed,” said lead researcher Marcelo Sánchez, director of the Paleontological Institute and Museum at UZH.
Venezuelan paleontologist Rodolfo Sanchez lies next to the shell of a Stupendemys geographicus specimen.
Keystone / Edwin Cadena
The reptile’s estimated body mass of 1,145 kg makes it almost 100 times heavier than its closest living relative, the Amazon river turtle, the university said in a statementExternal link on Wednesday.
The giant turtles, from the species named Stupendemys geographicus first described in the 1970s, roamed a humid, swampy swath of the continent that was also home to giant rodents, crocodiles and alligators between five and ten million years ago.
The UZH scientists, along with researchers from Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil, unearthed specimens in Venezuela and Colombia that revealed a distinct feature in the male turtles: they had horns on their shell.
The discoveries, including of jaws and other skeletal parts, have allowed the scientists to completely revise the species’ tree of life and expand the turtle’s habitat to a much wider geographic region than previously thought to cover the entire northern part of South America.
Switzerland’s drug approval process lags behind Europe
This content was published on
According to a recent study, medicines are approved on average 249 days later in Switzerland than by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Non-believers significantly underrepresented in Swiss parliament
This content was published on
While non-believers make up the largest group in the Swiss population at around 34%, they rank only third in Parliament with just 23%.
Swiss NGO offices in Ukraine hit by Russian strike
This content was published on
On Wednesday morning, the offices of the Swiss Foundation for Demining (FSD) were struck by a Russian missile in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine.
This content was published on
A group of climate protesters blocked the road to Zurich Airport on Wednesday morning. The police quickly cleared the demonstration.
Surge in PhDs in Switzerland driven by international students
This content was published on
The number of PhD students in French-speaking Switzerland has doubled over the past 30 years, largely due to the influx of international students.
Switzerland to host US-mediated peace talks on Sudan
This content was published on
The United States announced that Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces are set to hold peace talks in Switzerland in mid-August.
Stress research: voting campaigns can trigger stress among minorities
This content was published on
Researchers at the University of Zurich showed in a study that they released more stress hormones during the referendum campaign.
Swiss justice minister advocates for greater sovereignty through bilateral agreements
This content was published on
In a networked world, sovereignty can be enhanced by regulating relations with important partners, Jans wrote in a NZZ commentary on Tuesday.
No heat records in sight (yet) despite the ‘dog days’
This content was published on
The dog days—traditionally the hottest days of the year—began on Tuesday. However, the weather service Meteonews predicts that Switzerland is unlikely to see new temperature records in the near future.
Nations tighten rules on trading protected animals and plants
This content was published on
States meeting in Geneva to discuss the global wildlife trade have agreed to strengthen protections on a range of different species.
This content was published on
In terms of biodiversity, Switzerland is doing very badly, finds the head of conservation biology at the University of Bern.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.