The origin of the turtle

What is the origin of turtles? This strange reptile holds some secrets and surprises in its evolution.

Turtles are some of the most interesting reptiles and have gained a lot of popularity as pets. Despite their behavior, which suggests too much tranquility and some monotony, the truth is that the history and origin of the turtle are extraordinary when we propose to know them.

Next, we will analyze the amazing changes that turtles have experienced over the centuries they have inhabited our planet.

Origin of the first reptiles on Earth

Reptiles comprise some of the oldest species that have managed to survive on planet Earth. Among them, there is a very peculiar type of turtle native to the American continent popularly known as 'alligator turtle'.

The earliest known reptiles appeared at the beginning of the Carbon Age, about 300 million years ago. According to most zoologists, this ancient family of animals called Captorhinomorphs are the ancestors of all the reptiles we know today.

The captorhinomorphs had a body similar to the current small lizards; in addition, they showed significant changes in relation to the labyrinth amphibians from which they evolved, especially in the proportions and characteristics of the skull.

The skulls of these early reptiles were completely bony above the zygomatic bone. Therefore, they are considered as anapsid animals.

The origin of the turtle: the evolution from the anapsids

The evolution of turtles is a very special case in the field of reptile evolutionary history. Their evolution from anapsids recorded unique changes that were not observed in the evolutionary process of other reptile species.

Because of these changes, and for these reasons, turtles have a very particular appearance, and that is that they do not resemble any other living animal on the earth's surface.

One of the great curiosities about the history of the turtle is that, contrary to what is usually thought, it was originally a land animal. The evolutionary history of reptiles suggests that it took about 100 million years for some testudians to evolve in such a way that they adapted to the aquatic environment.

The first copy

In fact, the first animal that is directly related to today's turtles is Eunotosaurus. It is an extinct reptile that was the first to develop the widening of ribs, which was essential for the process of breathing and ventilation of the animal's body.

In practice, only after the birth of the Pappochelys was it possible to observe a structure similar to the plastron of the current turtles. This primitive structure is known as gastralia and its main function is to protect the vital organs of the human being.

Therefore, the evolution of turtles has included a double adaptive process; They depart, like all reptiles, from amphibians, to later undergo new morphological and behavioral changes to return to life underwater.

The first testudinos to inhabit our planet

The first representative of the testudinos of whose existence we are aware is called Odontochelys. The species arose in southern Asia during the Triassic period, approximately two hundred and twenty million years ago. It was an aquatic animal whose plastron the bottom of the shell was already well formed; his back still possessed primitive features.

About 10 million years later, still during the Triassic, the second testudin known as Proganochelys, which inhabited Eurasia, would emerge. Despite also being a primitive species, its shell already resembled more that of the current turtles.

In this second specimen, its neck and limbs were not yet retractable, since they were covered by thorns, in addition to having teeth on its palate. According to this evidence, turtles could be one of the oldest reptiles in the world, and they arose even before snakes and lizards.

The controversial classification of turtles

Taxonomy may seem like a very accurate science to those who are not directly involved in its study. However, the classification of turtles has sparked strong debates that, to this day, are not a consensus in the scientific community.

For many years, herpetologists seemed to agree that such reptiles belonged to anapsids. But in 201, biologist Gabe S. Bever conducted a detailed study on the skull of a primitive turtle (Eunotosaurus africanus); this report showed that turtles actually belong to the subclass of diapsids.

Actually, the evolution and origin of the turtle can still hold many mysteries, which we hope to discover with the advancement of science and technology.

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