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Archelon
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Archelon
Archelon Skeleton of the Cretaceous marine turtle Archelon, length 3.25 metres (10.7 feet).

Archelon

fossil sea turtle
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History

Archelon, extinct giant sea turtle known from fossilized remains found in North American rocks of the Late Cretaceous epoch (100 million to 66 million years ago). Archelon, protected by a shell similar to that found in modern sea turtles, reached a length of about 3.5 m (12 feet). The front feet evolved into powerful structures that could efficiently propel the great bulk of Archelon through the water.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.