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Natural History of Sea Turtles Paleontologic

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NATURAL HISTORY OF SEA TURTLES Genus Catapleura Genus Eochelone PALEONTOLOGIC HISTORY Genus Glarichelys Genus Puppigerus The oldest known turtle, Proganochelys dux, from Genus Tasbacka the Triassic had already acquired all essential turtle Subfamily Syllominae features (order Chelonia) including retaining some Genus ?Bryochelys primitive features such as vestigial teeth (Roemer, Genus Kurobechelys 1959; Obst, 1988: 74). Sea turtles had evolved by Genus Syllomus Cretaceous time and are represented by forms such as Subfamily Cheloniinae Archelon ischyros (Roemer 1959; Obst, 1988: 79) Genus Caretta (Fig. 29) with carapace lengths of up to 3 m and (Loggerhead Turtle) flipper spans of 5 m. The Protostegids originated in C. caretta the Early Cretaceous and survived until the Genus Carolinochelys Oligocene (Obst, 1988:79; Kear and Lee, 2006). The Genus Chelonia Toxochelids range from the Late Cretaceous into the Green Turtle; Tertiary in North America (Obst,1988:79). The C. mydas Dermochelids originated in the Cretaceous, but are &Black Turtle; first represented by fossils in the Eocene and by the C. agassizii extant Leatherbacks in modern seas. Genus Eretmochelys Hawksbill Turtle; E. imbricata Genus Lepidochelys Kemp’s Ridley; L. kempi & Olive Ridley; L. olivacea Genus Procolpochelys Genus Natator Flatback Turtle; N. depressa Figure 29 - Archelon ischros from the Cretaceous of Superfamily Dermochelyoidea South Dakota (Black Hills Institute photograph). Family Protostegidae Subfamily Chelospharginae Weems (1988) has recently reviewed the phylogeny Genus Calcarichelys of sea turtles and reviewed their taxonomy presenting Genus Chelosphargis the following classification: Genus Reinochelys ______________________________________ Subfamily Protostegidae Table 4. Sea Turtle Classification. Genus Archelon Genus Protostega Superfamily Chelonioidea Family Dermochelyidae Family Plesiochelyidae Subfamily Desmatochelyinae Genus Plesiochelys Genus Corochelys Genus Portlandemys Genus Desmatochelys Family Toxochelyidae Subfamily Allopleuroninae Subfamily Toxochelyinae Genus Allopleuron Genus Dollochelys Genus Eosphargis Genus ?Kirgizemys Genus Glyptochelone Genus Portochelys Genus Protosphargis Genus Thinochelys Subfamily Dermochelyinae Genus Toxochelys Genus Cosmochelys Family Cheloniidae Genus Dermochelys Subfamily Osteopyginae Leatherback Turtle; Genus Erquelinnesia D. coriacea Genus Osteopygis Genus Psephoporus Genus Rhetechelys ______________________________________ Subfamily Eocheloniinae Genus Argillochelys 21 Weems recognized two major radiations of sea turtles, one in the Late Cretaceous involving the Toxochelyidae, Protostegidae, and Dermochelyidae; and another in the Paleocene involving the Cheloniidae. A general trend of sea turtle diversity seems to correlate with average deep ocean temperature. It should be noted that the number of known species of sea turtles through geological history is about six species with a maximum of fifteen species during the Late Cretaceous. Two groups of sea turtles are extant today, those belonging to the Cheloniidae (Loggerhead (Fig. 30), Figure 30 - Loggerhead sea turtle crawling back Green, Hawksbill, and Ridleys), and the to ocean after nesting on St. Catherines Island. Dermochelyidae (Leatherback). Only one suite of sea turtle nesting structures is now The leatherback sea turtles represent an ancient known from the fossil record (Bishop et al., 2000) lineage which probably ranges back into the These data from the Recent will be used as the Cretaceous Period and represents quite a primitive foundation to search for turtle trace fossils possibly creature (Eckert, 1992: 32), but one adapted preserved in the sedimentary record (Kear et al., beautifully to its mode of life. Leatherbacks are now 2003). in rapid decline as evidenced by a 90% reduction in nesting observed in the Pacific Basin. Eckert, 1992, The charismatic nature of sea turtles, their documents a decline in Terengganu, Western endangered status, extensive geologic history, and Malaysia from 11,000 nests in 1956 to 280 in 1990]. cosmopolitan distribution makes them significant Much, if not all, of this decline can be ascribed to organisms to study and conserve while providing an human activities. Autopsies of Leatherbacks indicate excellent vehicle to use as a model for teaching field that 40-50% of then have ingested plastic items such geology and the scientific method of investigation. as balloons or bags and many are entangled in monofiliment line. In spite of this, Mexico apparently plans to develop a commercial fishery for IDENTIFICATION VIA TAXONOMIC KEY Leatherbacks on their Pacific coast, the last stronghold of Leatherbacks (Eckert, 1992: 32). The species of sea turtles which are encountered on the Georgia Coast include the Loggerhead Turtle In today’s seas seven species of Chelonid sea turtles (Caretta caretta), the Green Turtle (Chelonia remain extant, although seriously endangered. The mydas), the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys estimated declines in sea turtles are significant, coriacea), Kemps Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys Kemp’s Ridleys from 40,000 nesting females in 1947 kempi), and the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys to several hundred today (Pritchard,1989: 49). The imbricata). These turtles are similar in gross nesting of loggerheads on Jekyll and Cumberland morphology but can be differentiated by use of a Islands has decreased dramatically with a significant taxonomic key (Anom.): downturn in the early 1970’s. ______________________________________ Table 5. Identification of Sea Turtles Indications of nesting trends in Florida indicated in 2006 that this more southern rookery has rapidly 1. Leathery shell - Leatherback decreased (by 25%) in number of nests since 2000. 2. Shell with horny scutes- 3. One pair of scales between eyes Loggerhead sea turtles nesting on Georgia’s beaches Green Turtle differ genetically from those in Florida and probably 4. Two pairs of scales between eyes- represent a distinct northern sub-population of this 5. Four pairs of lateral scutes(imbricated scutes) endangered species. This northern population is Hawksbill much smaller and more endangered than a larger 6. More than four pairs of lateral scutes southern population nesting in Florida. We still 7. Red-Brown Color - Loggerhead know very little about loggerhead sea turtle biology, 8. Gray-Olive Color- ecology and behavior. Knowledge gained on St. 9. Five pairs of lateral scutes Atlantic Ridley Catherines Island could lead to better management of 10. More than five pairs of lateral scutes nesting habitat on urbanized sea islands. Pacific Ridley 22 .
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