Rare 33-million-year-old turtle fossil worth more than $4,000

A 33-million-year-old fossil turtle skeleton is set to be auctioned in London, England later this month with a starting price of $4,340.

33-million-year-old fossil turtle. Photo: BNPS.

The fossilized skeleton belongs to an ancient turtle species that roamed the Earth during the Oligocene (23 - 33.9 million years ago) at the end of the Paleogene period, according to Hungary Today. The fossilized turtle, weighing two kilograms, will be sold in London on April 27.

At the time the turtle was buried, the Earth's composition was very different and the land in South Dakota, USA, was warmer, creating an ideal habitat for the turtle. The ancient turtle was excavated in the barren land along the White River five years ago.

Scientific tests conducted after the excavation showed that this was an extinct turtle species called Stylemys, which lived in temperate and subtropical regions of North America, Europe and Asia. Unlike modern turtles, stylemys had a primate-like jaw and was a herbivore.

The turtle then fell into the hands of a private collector who sold the fossil to Christie's auction house, where it is estimated to be worth up to $4,340.

"The fossilization process depends on a series of rare conditions and is very rare, especially in turtles. Most dead animals are picked at by scavengers, but this specimen sinks into the ground and remains intact. Over millions of years, it is buried deeper and deeper and eventually becomes a fossil," said James Hyslop, head of science at the auction house.

The fossilization process takes place over a long period of time as sediment covers the carcass, encasing the bones, teeth, and shell. Over thousands of years, the remaining body parts decompose and are replaced by limestone material. The result is a living fossil that is an exact replica of the animal.

According to VNE