Paleontologists Discover 57-Million-Year-Old Giant Turtle Fossil in Colombia.
The Puentemys mushaisaensis turtle is estimated to be about 1.5 meters long. (Image source: Especial)
Researchers from the University of del Rosario, leading the excavation, announced that the fossil of the Puentemys mushaisaensis turtle, estimated to measure about 1.5 meters in length, was discovered in the mountainous urban area of Socha, northeastern Colombia.
This groundbreaking find is considered unprecedented for the region and is crucial for understanding the geography of South America during the Paleocene (65 million years ago) and Eocene (56-33.9 million years ago) epochs.
Paleontologist Edwin Cadena emphasized that the fossil’s discovery, located 500 kilometers north of similar specimens found earlier, allows scientists to reconstruct and visualize the landscape of northern South America in the past. Instead of the towering mountains that exceed 5,000 meters above sea level today, there may have been interconnected lakes and lower mountain ranges.
This discovery also provides scientists with a better understanding of the aquatic environment in northern South America during the Paleogene period (approximately 66 to 23 million years ago), the first geological epoch following the extinction of the dinosaurs.
This epoch was marked by the evolution of mammals from small, simple forms into a diverse array of species. Significant continental movement also occurred during this time.
