Unveiling the Ancient Mystery: Fossil Revealed as Baby Turtle Disguised as a Plant

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Source: SciTechDaily
Unveiling the Ancient Mystery: Fossil Revealed as Baby Turtle Disguised as a Plant
Photo: SciTechDaily
TL;DR

Fossils originally thought to be plant remains from the Early Cretaceous period in Colombia have been re-examined and identified as the fossilized remains of baby turtles. The fossils, nicknamed "Turtwig" after a Pokémon, were initially classified as a type of fossil plant by a Colombian priest in the 1950s. However, researchers noticed key features that didn't match plant characteristics and reached out to a paleontologist who confirmed that the fossils were actually the inside of a turtle's shell. The discovery of these rare fossilized baby turtles sheds light on the growth and development of ancient turtle species and highlights the need to re-evaluate historical collections in paleontology.

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