Sea Turtles

Presented by Laureen, Lisa, Christy & Courtney

 The Earliest Ancestors
Hylonomus lyelli
The earliest reptile is the Hylonomus lyelli
Hence the Hylonomus being the oldest
ancestor of the turtle
Its higher classification is the Romeriida
The forms leading up to the sea turtle:
The Pappochelys- the link between how the
turtle got its shell
Odontochelys- the oldest known turtle
relative with a half-shell
 TURTLES AND PAPPOCHELYS
SEA TURTLES PAPPOCHELYS

The cruising speed for green turtles is about 0.9 to 1.4 miles per Pappochelys were about 8 inches in length
hour. Had a tail, broad trunk, a lizard-like skull and peg-like teeth.
Sea turtles begin their lives in land before entering the water. Represents a near perfect intermediate link between Odontochelys.
Specialized glands in their body concentrate and excrete the salt Didnt have a shell like the turtles do today.
and retain the water.
Female sea turtles return to the same region where they were
hatched.
Turtles have no teeth. Their jaws are powerful and are shaped like
a bird's beak.
Their shells provide a home for them and also protection from
predators and adverse weather.
Environmental conditions that influenced
evolution

Sea turtles required evolution to adapt to marine conditions.

- Flippers to navigate through their water environment

- Thermoregulation to maintain core body temperature

- Oxygen-rich water is not a requirement for they are able

to surface at any moment or survive underwater for
several hours

- Ability to metabolise saltwater, excreting the salt and

remaining hydrated

- Survive the sting of a jellyfish whilst eating it

Modern relatives and their adaptations

Modern relatives to turtles include snakes, lizards, chameleons, crocodiles and marine birds.

Snake adaptations are: Lizard adaptations are: Chameleon adaptations are:

- Flexible jaw to eat its prey - Green or brown colour. - 360 degree eyes
- Backwards teeth - Scales over their feet and eyes. - Skin changes colour
- Camouflaging patterns - Nocturnal - Fast, accurate and sticky tongue
 Timeline of turtle evolution
1-5 million years
315 million years ago
160 million years ago ago
Hylonomus lyelli
Eileanchelys Meiolania and
Stupedemys

310 million 70 million years ago Present day:

230 million years
years ago
ago Chelonia mydas
Puetemys, Prostega, Archelon
Diplocausus
Henodus
(Amphibian)
References

http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/otherprehistoriclife/a/Prehistoric-Turtles-The-Story-Of-Turtle-Evolution.htm
http://nature.ca/notebooks/english/coalrep.htm
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/63378/20150624/ancient-ancestor-of-turtles-discovered-minus-the-shell.htm
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-key-link-turtle-evolution.html
http://seaturtleexploration.com/explore-and-learn/sea-turtle-web-lessons/sea-turtle-adaptations/
http://www.backyardnature.net/snakadap.htm
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/homework/adaptations/snakes.htm
http://www.factsfornow.scholastic.com/article?product_id=nbk&type=0ta&uid=10667593&id=a2017520-h
https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/chameleons-adapt-environment-9529c14d6f09bbd7#full-answer
http://reptilis.net/lacertilia/chamaeleonidae/tongue.html