Comments on: Heroes in a half-shell show how turtles evolved

By: Zach Miller

Zach Miller — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:50:26 +0000

Minor point: (yeah, nobody is reading posts this old) At SVP, a couple of researchers demonstrated that the turtle scapula is not actually inside the ribcage, but in fact sit just in front of the first thoracic vertebra. The plates of the SHELL grow over the scapula, but NOT the ribs.
So, as the authors continually pointed out, the scapula is within the shell, but not the ribs.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:56:28 +0000

Y’know, I was really hoping that someone would notice that before I felt obliged to point it out . Congratulations Igor.
(Oh and it was Raphael who used the sai. Mikey used nunchucka (except in Britain, where he used bugger all).

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:46:23 +0000

LOL good joke Ed. Good Photoshop job too! Was it Michaelangelo who used the sai?

By: Igor Zolnerkevic

Igor Zolnerkevic — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:46:06 +0000

TMNT was very popular in Brazil when I was a kid. “Odontochelys consigns that theory to the shredder”
“the turtle lineage splintered off”
ahahahahahahaah very funny

By: Liz D

Liz D — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:18:42 +0000

Most excellent photoshopping, Ed. It made me giggle on this sad day (watching Mumbai news on CNN).

By: Ron Cauble

Ron Cauble — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:14:07 +0000

Of course the most interesting question is to find an intermediate form that shows how the scapulae got inside the ribs. Any guesses?

By: DDeden

DDeden — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:54:19 +0000

Maybe the 1/2 shells were simply mineralized ballast? If they were semi-aquatics floating and sculling along the surface of shallow waters, the dense plastron keeping them upright and a bit of protection against submerged crocs, and a long neck would allow for quick fishing jabs beneath the water surface, while the upper carapace came later in the partial-return to terrestrial living, where protection from above/behind became more significant?

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:27:21 +0000

I photoshopped it for a joke. I was feeling whimsical.

By: Nebularry

Nebularry — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:24:16 +0000

Call me a skeptic but it looks to me as though each fore appendage is holding a dagger-like weapon. Is this a hoax?

By: DDeden

DDeden — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:07:48 +0000

164ma Skye turtle in the news too. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081119093227.htm