Gigantatypus
Encyclopedia
Gigantatypus is an extinct late Maastrichtian
sea turtle
that lived in the southern regions of the Tethys Ocean
about 100–120 km (62.1–74.6 ) off the north eastern margins of Cretaceous
Africa
immediately before the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction events . Fossil
remains of Gigantatypus are so far only represented in sediments from Jordan
. Estimated at over 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) in length, members of this genus reached remarkably large proportions equivalent to that of Archelon
Wieland, 1896 , considered as the largest marine turtles to ever roam the oceans of the world. Although Gigantatypus apparently did not survive the K/T boundary, which also was the fate of other gigantic marine turtles such as protostegids
, other genera of Cheloniidae, though significantly smaller in size survived the mass extinction and continued on until the present day.
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
that lived in the southern regions of the Tethys Ocean
Tethys Ocean
The Tethys Ocean was an ocean that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia during the Mesozoic era before the opening of the Indian Ocean.-Modern theory:...
about 100–120 km (62.1–74.6 ) off the north eastern margins of Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
immediately before the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction events . Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
remains of Gigantatypus are so far only represented in sediments from Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Estimated at over 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) in length, members of this genus reached remarkably large proportions equivalent to that of Archelon
Archelon
Archelon is a genus of extinct sea turtle, the largest that has ever been documented.-Discovery:...
Wieland, 1896 , considered as the largest marine turtles to ever roam the oceans of the world. Although Gigantatypus apparently did not survive the K/T boundary, which also was the fate of other gigantic marine turtles such as protostegids
Protostegidae
Protostegidae is a family of extinct marine turtles that lived during the Mesozoic Era. The family includes some of the largest sea turtles that ever existed. The largest, Archelon, had a head a meter long...
, other genera of Cheloniidae, though significantly smaller in size survived the mass extinction and continued on until the present day.