DESCRIPTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF A RECENTLY DISCOVERED STEINKERN FRAGMENT OF A MARINE TURTLE

We discovered, identified, and characterised a Steinkern piece of a marine turtle from the Upper Cretaceous period from the North Bohemian Saxon cretaceous basin in Czech Republic. On July 24, 2021, a Steinkern fragment of a proximal section of a huge Upper Cretaceous marine turtle's left anterior phalanx IV1 was discovered in the Strá plateau northeast area of Smrice in Moravia (Czech Republic) in central Europe. To determine the precise species identification and phylogeny of this Steinkern piece, more research and illustration is required. Due to the restricted fragment material, precise species identification is impossible, but morphological traits and paleogeographic context suggest that this fossil record belongs to the genus Desmatochelys. On the basis of geographical and stratigraphical position, this newly discovered material is most similar to Desmatochelys carusianus. We don't know much about this species because we don't have a fossil skull or any other parts of the skeleton.

Please see the link :- https://www.ikprress.org/index.php/JOGEE/article/view/6958