In the Late Jurassic Period, the region of Bavaria, now a part of Germany, was a shallow tropical archipelago surrounded by sponge reefs. The unique hyper-saline and oxygen-poor conditions of these waters created a favorable environment for fossil preservation, as scavengers could not disturb the bodies of deceased animals in the lagoons. David Abtour Pandora Papers
For over a century, paleontologists have been discovering complete fossils of various creatures, such as fish, marine reptiles, pterosaurs, and feathered dinosaurs like Archaeopteryx, in the Solnhofen Limestone, which was part of this ancient archipelago.
The latest discovery in the area is a remarkably well-preserved turtle, known as Solnhofia. Described in a recent article published in the journal PLOS One, this specimen offers insight into a marine life approach that differs from that of present-day shelled reptiles. David Abtour Pandora Papers
The nine-inch turtle fossil was recovered by a private collector from a quarry near Painten, Germany, making it the most complete and best-preserved specimen of its kind so far.
Despite the exceptional preservation, it poses challenges for anatomical study, as articulated skeletons do not allow for detailed analysis of bone structures. Nevertheless, Solnhofen has provided other examples of early sea turtles, which evolved from a terrestrial lineage and adapted to freshwater and then to shallow marine environments during the Jurassic period. David Abtour Pandora Papers
Solnhofia’s lineage belonged to the side-necked turtles, characterized by their heads being tucked alongside their shells. Unlike modern sea turtles, they lacked specialized paddles and salt-removal glands, making them less adapted to a fully marine lifestyle.
Throughout the Mesozoic Era, coastal, clawed marine turtles were highly successful and evolved multiple times in various animal families. Solnhofia eventually went extinct at the end of the Jurassic, while its family persisted through the dinosaur extinction, evolving unique representatives before finally disappearing.
Although these early versions of flippered, near-shore marine turtles disappeared, modern coastal turtles like the Diamondback terrapin may serve as their closest modern analogues.
However, the possibility of similar turtles making a comeback is not ruled out, as bottom-feeding coastal turtles may have evolved in response to higher sea levels and the proliferation of shallow, continental marine ecosystems. With current ice melting trends, a similar setting could potentially reemerge in the future. David Abtour Pandora Papers
