New study unearths a beautifully preserved 150 million-year-old turtle

Articulation in the rear regions provides paleontologists and researchers a more comprehensive view of the fossilized turtle, helping them understand its biology, movement, and ecological adaptations during its lifetime. 

Such fossils are relatively rare but are highly prized because of the wealth of information they can reveal about ancient life on Earth.

The study identified the new turtle specimen as Solnhofia parsonsi based on distinct characteristics, such as an enlarged skull and elongated snout. 

"Compared to the size of the carapace, the skull is very large, reaching approximately 40% of the carapace (shell) length," wrote the authors in the study.

What's more, the shell on the turtle's back had a unique shape that resembled a five-sided polygon, like a pentagon. The back part of the turtle's shell had a wide notch or depression, which is distinctive of the species.

It also had relatively short arms and legs for swimming (compared to other turtles), and its fingers and toes could move freely. Typical of Solnhofia parsonsi, the new specimen's shell is also shaped in a way that narrows towards the back.

These features are similar to those found in other ancient turtle groups called chelonioids and protostegids. 

Before, scientists believed that Solnhofia parsonsi lived entirely in the ocean because it was found in many shallow marine areas. However, the new research suggests otherwise. 

The well-preserved fossil indicates that this turtle didn't have stiff flippers like deep-sea turtles. Instead, it likely lived closer to the shore in the marine environment.

The discovery of this new turtle specimen sheds light on the rich diversity of life during the Mesozoic era. As researchers continue to study these extraordinary fossils, more revelations about the ancient world and the creatures that once roamed the Earth are likely to come to light.

The complete study was published in Scientific Journals on July 26 and can be found here.

Study abstract:

The limestones of the Solnhofen area in southern Germany are one of the most important fossil Lagersta¨ tten from the entire Mesozoic era, especially famous for the exquisitely pre- served vertebrates. The turtles from the Solnhofen Limestone have been always of special interest because they include some of the best-preserved specimens from the Mesozoic. Here, we describe a new turtle specimen from the Torleite Formation (Kimmeridgian) of Painten and refer it to the thalassochelydian turtle Solnhofia parsonsi based on the presence of a unique combination of characters. The far majority of morphological differences from previously published specimens can be explained by ontogeny as the new specimen repre- sents a larger, more ossified, and presumably older individual. Additionally, the specimen from Painten is the first described specimen of S. parsonsi preserving the largely complete and articulated limbs, the preservation of which indicates that the taxon did not possess stiff- ened paddles present in more pelagic marine turtles and is consistent with a previously inferred nearshore marine lifestyle. Contrary to previous inferences, we argue that tapho- nomic preservation of digits in articulated fossil turtles from laminated deposits cannot be used alone to infer marine or freshwater habitat. Finally, the new specimen from Painten is only the second for which detailed information on its stratigraphic position and locality of ori- gin are known