Cretaceous Sea Turtle Disarticulated Skeleton

$14,895.00

Protostega Sea Turtle is an extinct genus of sea turtle containing a single species, Protostega gigas. Its fossil remains have been found in the Smoky Hill Chalk formation of western Kansas (Hesperornis zone, dated to 83.5 million years ago.

Description

Cretaceous Sea Turtle Disarticulated Skeleton Replica measures 60×40. Cretaceous sea turtle disarticulated skeleton is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Protostega gigas is the scientific name. Our precise skeleton can be used as a teaching tool, museum skeleton exhibit, home décor skeleton, or office décor skeleton. Replica from Denver Museum.

The Late Cretaceous sea turtle or Protostega gigas was marked by high temperatures, with large epicontinental seaways.

During the Mid-to Late Cretaceous period the Western Interior Seaway covered the majority of North America and would connect to the Boreal and Tethyan oceans at times. Within these regions are where the fossil of Cretaceous sea turtle or Protostega gigas have been found.

Cretaceous sea turtle or Protostega gigas is known to have reached up to 3 meters in length. Cope’s Protostega gigas discovery reveled that their shell had a reduction of ossification that helped these huge animals with streamlining in the water and weight reduction.

The carapace of the Cretaceous sea turtle or Protostega gigas was greatly reduced and the disk only extending less than half way towards the distal ends of the ribs.

Cope described other greatly modified bones in his specimen including an extremely long coracoid process that reached all the way to the pelvis and a humerus that resembled a Dermochelys. Creating better movement of their limbs.

The uniqued Protostega gigas to have a large jugal that reached to the quadrate along with a thickened pterygoid that reached to the mandibular articulating surface of the quadrate. The Cretaceous sea turtle or Protostega gigas fossil featured a reduction in the posterior portion of the vomer where the palatines meet medially.

Another Cretaceous sea turtle or Protostega gigas fossilized specimen showed a bony extension, that would have been viewed as a beak, was lacking in the Protostega genus. The premaxillary beak was very shorted then Archelon. In front of the orbital region was elongated with broadly roofed temporal region.

The jaws of the fossil showed large crushing-surfaces. The quadrato-jugal was triangular with a posterior edge that was concave and the entire bone was convex from distal view. The squamosal appeared to have a concave formation on the surface at the upper end of the quadrate.

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Additional information

Weight 20 lbs
Dimensions 60 × 40 in
Cretaceous Sea Turtle Facts:

Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Family: †Protostegidae
Genus: †Protostega
Cope, 1872
Type species: †Protostega gigas