How turtle shells evolved… twice – Judy Cebra Thomas

Check out the fascinating science behind the evolution of the turtle shell, over 260 million years in the making.

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Modern turtle shells are almost as diverse as the turtles themselves. Sea turtles have flatter, lighter shells for gliding through the water. Land-dwelling tortoises have domed shells that can slip free of predators’ jaws. Leatherback turtles have shells without the ring of bone around the edge. So how did the shell evolve? Judy Cebra-Thomas explores the ancestry of the turtle.

Lesson by Judy Cebra-Thomas, directed by Cabong Studios.

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