Scientists have discovered a fossil that was initially thought to be a plant, but was actually the bone fragments of a young ancient turtle.
Colombian priest Padre Gustavo Huertas collected various fossils near Villa de Levya for decades. One day he discovered two small fossils, which he initially mistook for the remains of a plant. But careful research by experts has eliminated this error, revealing something more surprising about them.
Experts from National Columbia University and Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History found that the lines on these fossils are not leaf impressions, but are most likely bones. Through detailed analysis, it turned out that these were fragments of the upper shell of a baby ancient turtle.
The specimens are approximately 113-132 million years old, making it a rare historical artifact. This find surprised paleontologists because the remains of young turtles are so rare due to the thinness of their bones.
Professor Edwin-Alberto Cadena from the Universidad del Rosario in Colombia noted that this unusual discovery allows us to learn more about the evolution of these ancient creatures. He named the turtle species "Turtwig" after the Pokemon character who is half turtle and half plant. They were also likely related to other Cretaceous species that reached 4.6 meters in length, although it remains a mystery how they actually grew to such gigantic sizes.