Turtle skulls vary in shape, from the long and narrow skulls of softshells to the broad and flattened skull of the mata mata. [25] Some turtle species have developed large and thick heads, allowing for greater muscle mass and stronger bites. [26] Turtles that are carnivorous or durophagous (eating hard-shelled animals) have the most powerful bites.

The shape of inner bony elements and the dense bulbous morphology of the tail tip resemble the tail club of ankylosaurs (Arbour and Currie 2015), glyptodons (Zurita et al. 2013) or turtles from the Meiolaniidae family (Sterli 2015), which used it most probably as a weapon for active defensive behaviour (Arbour and Zanno 2020). In contrast ...

The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) and the wattle-necked softshell turtle (Palea steindachneri), both members of the order Testudines and family Trionychidae, are taxonomically classified under the distinct genera Pelodiscus and Palea, respectively.P. sinensis holds a dominant position in Chinese aquaculture, with an annual production exceeding 320,000 tons, making it the most ...

This majestic turtle is not just any turtle...it is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world! This extraordinary creature ----the Yangtze Giant Sof...

Brachiopods (/ ˈ b r æ k i oʊ ˌ p ɒ d /), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs.Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, while the front can be opened for feeding or closed for protection. Two major categories are traditionally recognized, articulate and ...