#proganochelys

[herpsandbirds]

Proganochelys quenstedtii, a primitive stem turtle, from about 210 million years ago, in the Late Triassic, fossils found in Switzerland and Germany

Believed to have been herbivorous, and ~1m in length.

illustration by Jaime Chirinos | Smithsonian Books

[antiqueanimals]

"Turtles were originally terrestrial animals (tortoises.) One of the oldest types was Triassechelys (now Proganochelys), whose remains were found in Triassic rocks in Germany."

Prehistoric Sea Monsters. Written by Dr. Josef Augusta. Illustrated by Zdeněk Burian. 1966.

Internet Archive

[weepingwidar]

Zdeněk Burian (Czech, 1905-1981) - Proganochelys (1962)

[ke96]

Character designs for deleted dinosaur species from Disney’s Dinosaur.

From Disney’s Dinosaur Collector’s Edition Release.

[kelpgull]

Paleovember - Set 6 26-Cartorhynchus 27-Megalograptus 28-Proganochelys 29-Birkenia

[antiqueanimals]

The World of Dinosaurs. Written by L. B. Halstead. 1979.

Internet Archive

[antiqueanimals]

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Volume 6: Reptiles. Written by Bernard Grzimek. 1984.

Page 1:

1.) Moschops

2.) Dicynodon turpior

3.) Edaphosaurus

4.) Pareiasaurus baini

5.) Lycaenops

Page 2:

1.) Rhynchosaurus

2.) Lystrosaurus

3.) Ticinosuchus

4.) Chasmatosaurus

5.) Scylacosaurus

6.) Proganochelys

7.) Triassochelys dux

8.) Desmatosuchus

9.) Mosasaurus

[palaeopedia]

The early Turtle, Proganochelys (1887)

Phylum : Chordata Class : Reptilia Order : Testudines Family : Proganochelidae Genus : Proganochelys Species : P. quenstedti

Late Triassic (210 Ma)

1 m long and 50 kg (size)

Germany, Greenland and Thailand (map)

Until the recent discovery of Odontochelys, Proganochelys was the earliest prehistoric turtle yet identified in the fossil record--a three-foot-long, well-carapaced reptile that lumbered across the swamplands of late Triassic western Europe (and probably North America and Asia as well). Startlingly for such an ancient creature, Proganochelys was almost indistinguishable from a modern turtle, with the exception of its spiked neck and tail (which meant, of course, that it couldn't retract its head into its shell and needed some other form of defense against predators). Proganochelys also possessed very few teeth; modern turtles are completely toothless, so you shouldn't be surprised that the even earlier Odontochelys ("toothed shell") was well-supplied on the dental front.