t is believed that the first sea turtles roamed Earth more than 245 million years ago. It is believed they were part of the late Triassic Period based on fossil records. It is believed that these sea creatures where once land animals that evolved to spend most of their time in the water in order to survive. They were very similar to land turtles but much larger.
They would have lived of prey that was on land. When that wasn’t available they had to evolve in order to live on what was found in the waters around them. The one part that didn’t change was the deposit of their eggs on land.
There is sufficient evidence to indicate the sea turtles did go back and forth between land and sea during the Mesozoic Period. However, by the Cretaceous Period they had evolved and were in the water mainly as they now had flippers to help them. Soon after they developed their hard shells as a form of protection. It isn’t known exactly when this took place.
It is believed that this significant change in their lifestyle occurred approximately 120 million years ago. It is believed that the evolution process for sea turtles took place very rapidly instead of slowly over a long period of time. This suggests to researchers that there were some significant changes that took place on Earth. Perhaps the same one that caused so many other animals in the world to either evolve or to become extinct.
Those reptiles that did survive were mainly the ones that took to the water and underwent an evolutionary change that could help them to continue on. It is believed that the sea turtles looked very different back then compared to what we see today. They were likely much larger and had different color. They may have had longer necks like other reptiles as well.
They would have lived of prey that was on land. When that wasn’t available they had to evolve in order to live on what was found in the waters around them. The one part that didn’t change was the deposit of their eggs on land.
There is sufficient evidence to indicate the sea turtles did go back and forth between land and sea during the Mesozoic Period. However, by the Cretaceous Period they had evolved and were in the water mainly as they now had flippers to help them. Soon after they developed their hard shells as a form of protection. It isn’t known exactly when this took place.
It is believed that this significant change in their lifestyle occurred approximately 120 million years ago. It is believed that the evolution process for sea turtles took place very rapidly instead of slowly over a long period of time. This suggests to researchers that there were some significant changes that took place on Earth. Perhaps the same one that caused so many other animals in the world to either evolve or to become extinct.
Those reptiles that did survive were mainly the ones that took to the water and underwent an evolutionary change that could help them to continue on. It is believed that the sea turtles looked very different back then compared to what we see today. They were likely much larger and had different color. They may have had longer necks like other reptiles as well.
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