What does the Archelon look like?
Archelon was huge marine turtle (a chelonian) that was the size of a car. It lived during the time of the dinosaurs, but it was not a dinosaur. This carnivore was about 10-13 feet (3-4 m) long. Archelon had a wide, flattened shell, paddle-like legs, a long, narrow head, weak jaws, and a short, pointed tail.
How big is an Archelon?
12 feet
Archelon, extinct giant sea turtle known from fossilized remains found in North American rocks of the Late Cretaceous epoch (100 million to 66 million years ago). Archelon, protected by a shell similar to that found in modern sea turtles, reached a length of about 3.5 m (12 feet).
How did the Archelon go extinct?
The increasing threat of egg or hatchling predation by new marine or mammalian species may have led to the extinction of Archelon, and the disappearance of gigantic protostegids seems to have coincided with the increasing size of dermochelyids.
Who found the Archelon?
In 2002, while hiking along the Sheyenne River valley near Cooperstown, Griggs County, Peter Mack of Christine, North Dakota (formerly of Cooperstown) discovered a portion of the lower jaw and several other bones of the giant sea turtle called Archelon (Figures 1 and 2).
When did Archelon exist?
66 million years ago – 83.6 million years ago (Campanian – Maastrichtian)Archelon / Lived
What was the largest turtle ever?
Stupendemys geographicus
About five to 10 million years ago, giant turtles that dwarfed humans roamed freshwater swamps in South America. Researchers have uncovered shells belonging to Stupendemys geographicus, the largest turtle that ever existed. Its shell reached nearly 10 feet in length and weighed 2,500 pounds.
What did the Archelon eat?
Archelon lived roughly 65 million to 75 million years ago, and its food source was like what sea turtles today eat — jellyfish and crustaceans. Their predators included sharks and the Mosasaur. Archelon had no reason to dive down, and so mainly lived at the surface of the water, where food was abundant.
Where have Archelon fossils been found?
Its fossils date to 70 million years ago in the Cretaceous period, when a shallow sea covered most of central North America. Most of the known remains have been found in South Dakota, Kansas, and Nebraska.
How long did the Archelon live?
Paleontologists believe that Archelon probably had a long lifespan, much like modern turtles do today. Scientists believe that it probably lived around 100 years – on average. They may have lived even longer than that.
Why was the Archelon so big?
Why did Archelon grow to such an enormous size? Well, at the time this prehistoric turtle lived, the Western Interior Sea was well-stocked with the vicious marine reptiles known as mosasaurs (a good example being the contemporary Tylosaurus), some of which measured over 20 feet long and weighed four or five tons.
What hunted the Archelon?
Their predators included sharks and the Mosasaur. Archelon had no reason to dive down, and so mainly lived at the surface of the water, where food was abundant. These ancient reptiles were about 15 feet long in comparison to the 6-foot leatherbacks seen today.