Fossilised turtle shells plucked from a Polish rubbish dump have been judged to be the oldest and most complete palaeontologists have yet discovered. Dating back 215million years, experts say the ...

Turtle shells evolved over the course of 300 million years, but self-defense wasn't the initial driver, researchers think.

Turtles and tortoises, though related, exhibit key differences. Turtles are primarily aquatic with streamlined shells and webbed feet, suited for swimming and varied diets. Tortoises are land-based, ...

The unearthing of three 220m-year-old fossils in China has solved the enduring mystery of how the turtle got its shell. The ancient remains are the first evidence palaeontologists have of a species of ...

In cartoons, when a turtle is spooked, it retreats into and closes up its shell. While used for comic effect, this imagery is based in fact – although not all turtles are capable of this protective ...

Although turtles evolved 230 million years ago in the Triassic period, there are only around 350 species today. In comparison, there are 10,000 bird species. The two researchers investigated the ...

'Largest turtle that ever existed' weighed more than a tonne and had an eight-foot horned shell that it may have used for fighting other turtles 10 million years ago. Palaeontologists from the ...

Scientists have discovered remains of a rare kind of turtle, one that lived over 228 million years ago in the Triassic era and had no shell – the most common feature of present-day turtles. The nearly ...

Turtles and tortoises, recognized for their hard shells and ancient lineage, thrive in various environments. Turtles are typically aquatic while tortoises inhabit land. These reptiles show unique ...