Cotylorhynchus, a genus of late Permian synapsids. It's herbivorous and it's huge gut was possibly necessary to digest the nutrient-poor plant life it fed on.

fossilesque@mander.xyz · 2 days ago

Cotylorhynchus, a genus of late Permian synapsids. It's herbivorous and it's huge gut was possibly necessary to digest the nutrient-poor plant life it fed on.

2 days ago

Looks like a turtle without its shell. Are the scientists sure it didnt have a shell made of cartilage thats been lost to time?

umbraroze@lemmy.world · 1 day ago

I don’t know where this particular fella fits in the history, but turtles evolved from similar quadruped reptiles. Basically, their ribs evolved flat and wide so that their chests could support them better while burrowing tunnels. That turned into the turtle plastron.