They discover a new species of turtle in Tatacoa and name it Shakiremys Colombiana.
A new fossil discovery was recorded in the Tatacoa Desert, in Villavieja, Huila: the fossil of a turtle13 million yearswas found by a resident in the surroundings of the town center of La Victoria.
Andrés Felipe Vanegas, director of the Tatacoa Museum, indicated that, “we are facing one of the most important discoveries of recent years in the Tatacoa desertthe fossil of a turtle. This fossil is very important for science, since It is a new genus and species of turtle that was not known on the planet”.
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This turtle belongs to the Podocnemididae family, which is a group of turtles that still survive in rivers such as the Amazon, Orinoco and Magdalena. This turtle is very interesting because it has a mosaic of unique characteristics that have not been seen in any of the species of its family.
The scientist who led the research, Dr. Edwin Cadena of the Universidad del Rosario, decided to call her Colombian Shakiremys, a tribute made to the singer-songwriter Shakirafor everything she has done internationally, also as a precursor of education in Colombia and the world, and also because in one way or another, let’s say that she is a representative for Colombia in other countries.
The turtle was prepared in the museum and exhibited in the Tatacoa museum, so It is one of the most important species of turtles that have been found in the Tatacoa desert.revealing the diversity of these species in the Tatacoa desert.
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According to the research, This specimen could actually adapt to any type of environmentthat is, according to the characteristics of its fossil, we came to the conclusion that the animal could adapt to swamps, rivers, lagoons and any type of ecosystem.
The fossil is located in the La Tatacoa Natural History Museum, which has one of the two laboratories specialized in fossils that exist in the country.
“The most interesting thing about the discovery is that we found the shell and the head. That is very important for research, since almost always turtle species only find the shell, not the head. Since the head is present, it allows us to learn more in depth about this species,” said Vanegas.
Source: Integrated Information System
