Paleontologists Unearth 9-Foot-Long Turtle With Massive Spikes on its Shell

Longer than any NBA player is tall, S. geographicus cruised around with some serious armor.

By Leslie Nemo
Feb 12, 2020 9:00 PMFeb 12, 2020 10:34 PM
Massive Prehistoric Turtle
An artist's illustration of Stupendemys geographicus. (Credit: JA Chirinos)

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Since the 1970s, scientists have pulled bits of fossilized turtle shells from the ground in Central and South America. These were no ordinary hard cases: These shells were impossibly long, indicating turtles stretching about 8 feet from tail to tip. 

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