timhigg Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 I found the piece of shell shown below, which seems big to me, and was wondering what kind of type/size turtle it might be from. Would it be comparable, for example, to something like a modern giant land tortoise, which could be as much as 4 feet long - or something smaller or bigger than that. Not a test - just wondering how you might guesstimate the size and type of the turtle. Thanks. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darktooth Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 @Tidgy's Dad is our tortoise expert. Maybe he can help. 1 I like Trilo-butts and I cannot lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 1 hour ago, Darktooth said: @Tidgy's Dad is our tortoise expert. Maybe he can help. I mainly know a bit about modern tortoises, not so much fossil ones. I do actually have a very similar piece somewhere, though. I think it's probably from the giant land tortoise Hesperotestudo which was indeed comparable in size to the island giants of Galapagos and the Aldabra islands today. 1 Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlesteve Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 A quick comparison to some modern tortoise shells suggests a straight carapace length of about 30-36” would be reasonable. I agree with Tidgy’s Dad - probably Hesperotestudo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrow Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 ...3rd for Hesperotestudo and yes comparable in size to extant giant land tortoises 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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