There are currently only 7 species of sea turtles on our planet. Two of these species are in the genus Lepido chelys: the olive ridley and the Kemp’s ridley, although they are the most common sea turtle species in the Caribbean and elsewhere. But little is known about its history or development. Recently, a fossilized turtle shell was found on the coast of Panama on the Caribbean Sea. It has been identified as the oldest fossil evidence of a Lepidochelys turtle ever found.
A team of paleontologists from the National University of Rosario in Colombia and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama said that the discovery of fossils in the Chagres Formation indicates that the turtle lived about 6 million years ago in Panama. Late Miocene It is the time when the Earth begins to cool and dry. There is ice accumulation at the poles. Sea levels fell and rainfall decreased. This discovery may shed more light on the evolutionary history of this genus, but paleontologists have not yet identified this species. Because his remains were not in perfect condition.
In addition to finding the oldest evidence of Lepidochelys, researchers also discovered something unexpected in the turtle’s shell fossil. Any traces of genetic material, or ancient DNA, and the team revealed that DNA is usually quite perishable. But in some of the bone cells of this turtle’s shell, the cell nucleus is preserved. When interacting with chemical solutions, it has helped researchers find the presence of DNA. It is a molecule that carries genetic information to further develop and establish the functions of living organisms.
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