Education

UF paleontologist identifies new extinct musk turtle species from Florida fossils

University of Florida paleontologist Jason Bourque has formally described a newly identified extinct musk turtle species, named Sternotherus pugnatus, which lived in Florida roughly 5.5 million years ago during the late Miocene. The name references the creature’s apparent combativeness, inferred from healed bite marks, scratches, and broken bones preserved in the fossil record. An alligator gar or close relative has been tentatively identified as one of the animals responsible for those injuries.

Sources: UF News