First European sea turtles became extinct due to changing sea levels

Little is known about the oldest sea turtles that inhabited the Earth millions of years ago. The finding in the Baetic Cordillera, in Jaén, of the remains of a supposed new species of turtle, Hispaniachelys prebetica - considered the oldest in southern Europe - brought new clues six years ago. However, it was still not clear what group the primitive turtle belonged to. To resolve the matter, researchers studied the as-yet-unanalyzed fossils of the specimen, reinterpreted some of its features and provided new information on the morphology of these reptiles. The results marked a radical shift in fossil interpretation.



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