The fossil turtle Notochelone is commonly found in the Richmond area in rocks that are 100 million years old. Notochelone was a small turtle, simialr in size to the modern Green Turtle. A much larger turtle, Cratochelone, has also been found in this area but is extremely rare. It may not have lived in the inland sea and the know fossil specimems may have strayed into the inland sea while migrating.
(Artwork by Maree Maxwell)
The parts of turtles that are most commonly preserved as fossils come from the shell. The outer layer of the shell is made of sclaes composed of keratin, like fingernails and hair, which does not fossilise. Usually, the large, flat ribs from the upper shell (carapace) and flat bony plates of the lower shell (plastron) are preserved. Fossil turtle skulls are reaosnably rare. This may be because large predators such as Kronosaurus tore their heads off, or because the head may have detached from the body as the soft ligaments began to decay after death.
The most recent find of a disarticulated turtle discovered in 12km north of Richmond in August 2008, pictured below and now on display in Kronosaurus Korner.
