About Archelon
| Scientific Name (Genus) | Archelon |
| Meaning of Name | Ruling Turtle |
| Classification | Testudines, Cryptodira, Chelonioidea, Protostegidae |
| Total Length | Approx. 4m |
| Diet | Omnivorous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous (approx. 75 million years ago) |
| Sub-classification / Species Name | Archelon ischyros |
| Year of Paper Publication | 1896 |
| Genus Name Publication | Archelon ischyros: a new gigantic cryptodire testudinate from the Fort Pierre Cretaceous of South Dakota. American Journal of Science, 4th Series 2(12) Wieland, G. R. 1896. |
Features: The Largest Sea Turtle in History
Archelon was the largest sea turtle in history, living in North America during the Late Cretaceous. It is estimated to have exceeded 4 meters in length and weighed up to 2 tons.
A Lightweight "Leathery Shell"
The secret to Archelon's enormous size lies in its unique shell. Instead of a heavy, solid shell like modern sea turtles, it is thought to have had a framework of bone covered by tough, leathery skin. This structure is similar to the shell of the modern leatherback sea turtle.
Thanks to this lightweight shell, Archelon could swim efficiently in the water despite its huge size. However, this also meant it had lower defensive capabilities and may have been prime prey for powerful predators like mosasaurs.
Powerful Beak and Diet
Archelon did not have teeth, but instead had a beak like a parrot's. Its tip was sharp like a hook, and its jaw strength was extremely powerful, so it is thought to have been able to crush and eat hard-shelled ammonites and large crustaceans. It seems to have been omnivorous, also eating squid, jellyfish, and seaweed.
Archelon Found Only in North America
Archelon fossils are found in places like South Dakota and Colorado in North America, which were once covered by a shallow, warm sea.
This sea, a vast inland seaway that divided the North American continent in two during the Cretaceous, was a rich yet dangerous world inhabited by a wide variety of marine life, including mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and giant fish. The fossil record suggests that Archelon lived mainly in the coastal areas of this inland sea, rather than the open ocean.
Paper Describing Archelon
Source: Archelon ischyros: a new gigantic cryptodire testudinate from the Fort Pierre Cretaceous of South Dakota. American Journal of Science, 4th Series 2(12) Wieland, G. R. 1896.
The first Archelon fossil was found in 1895.
It was a specimen (specimen number: YPM3000) excavated from the Pierre Shale (Cretaceous, about 80.5 million years ago) in South Dakota, USA.
The following year, in 1896, American paleontologist George Reber Wieland described the large turtle Archelon in his paper "Archelon ischyros: a new gigantic cryptodire testudinate from the Fort Pierre Cretaceous of South Dakota."