Archelon

A gentle giant among giant predators

Archelon, the giant tortoise, already resembled today's tortoises in its physique. Equipped with a sharp beak, it effortlessly crushed bones and severed the muscles of its prey. However, it could not retract its head and fins and was therefore defenceless against the attacks of swimming predators, such as mosasaurs.

Archelon did have a carapace, but even that offered only minimal protection. To save weight, only a leathery skin stretched over a framework of thin ribs. Many fossils found in North America were missing one or two fins. Scientists conclude that Archelon was constantly exposed to attacks from larger predators, such as mosasaurus.