Hell’s Shells: 90 Million-Year-Old Egg From Turtle Bigger Than Humans

A giant fossilized turtle egg — believed to have been laid by a turtle the length of a fully grown human 90 million years ago — has been found with the embryo inside.

The tennis ball-sized egg, which is protected by an unusually thick outer shell, was found in 2018 by a farmer in China’s Henan Province, who sent it to a university for analysis.

A tennis-ball-sized fossilized turtle egg, containing an almost fully developed embryo, was unearthed in east-central China. Nanhsiungchelyids are an extinct family of land turtles found in Cretaceous deposits in Asia and North America.

The research team, which included scientists from the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, the Henan Geological Museum and Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum, carried out CT-scans on the egg.

This tennis-ball-sized fossilized turtle egg, containing an almost fully developed embryo, was unearthed in east-central China.

The fossilized find is also believed to be part of the Nanhsiungchelyidae, an extinct family of land turtles from the Cretaceous period that were native to Asia and North America. Such turtles were flat-shelled and lived on dry land, which was unusual at the time, said Darla Zelenitsky, a researcher from Canada’s University of Calgary.

While thousands of dinosaur eggs have been found in Henan Province over the past 30 years, Zelenitsky said they are rarely found in good condition.“In comparison with dinosaur eggs, turtle eggs — especially those with preserved embryos — rarely fossilize because they’re so small and fragile,” she said.

Zelenitskythey said that this egg likely survived because of its unusually thick shell, which the research team measured at 0.07 inches, several times thicker than the eggs of Galapagos turtles at 0.01 inch.

Judging by the size of the shell, the team estimated that it was laid by a turtle with a 5.3-foot-long carapace, meaning that from its neck to its tail, it would have been longer than some humans are tall. Zelenitsky said that part of the shell was broken from the inside, so it’s possible that the embryo tried to hatch but has been trapped in its shell for 90 million years.

Related Posts

Two Uпiqυely Valυable Shipwrecks Discovered From the Middle 14th Ceпtυry iп Swedeп

Dυriпg aп archaeological dig iп westerп Swedeп this sυmmer, the remaiпs of two medieval merchaпt vessels kпowп as cogs were discovered. Αпalyses show that the ships were bυilt oυtside…

20 Photos Of The Most Spectacυlar Birds of Sυпset Sceпes

Αs the sυп begiпs its desceпt towards the horizoп, the sky is paiпted with a myriad of colors. Shades of oraпge, piпk, aпd pυrple bleпd together to…

Revealiпg the Tυппel Throυgh the Other World Of 2000-Year-Old Redwoods Iп the пortherп regioпs of Califorпia

Dotted aroυпd the пortherп regioпs of Califorпia are a haпdfυl of the oldest redwoods aпd giaпt seqυoias iп the world, reachiпg υp to the skies like somethiпg…

Uпexpectedly Discovered 3,400-year-old “Lost” City Reappeared Oп the Tigris River iп Iraq

The tighteпiпg grip of climate chaпge oп oυr plaпet is revealiпg secrets bυried for milleппia. Αs waters aпd ice recede υпder warmiпg coпditioпs, the traces of people…

Türkiye’s Hiddeп Gem: Pamυkkale’s Natυral Beaυty aпd White Limestoпe Terraces Yoυ’ve Never Seeп

Pamυkkale, also kпowп as the “Laпd of White Travertiпes,” is a stυппiпg пatυral woпder located iп the Deпizli proviпce of Tυrkey. Its пame literally traпslates to “cottoп…

Uпcoveriпg the Uпthiпkable: Giaпt Skeletoпs (3.28 Meters) Discovered iп the Philippiпes

Αside from mythology aпd folklore remaiпs of extremely tall people have beeп reported, althoυgh rarely docυmeпted. Everyoпe will decide for himself whether or пot to believe they…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *