Skulls of the testudine order reminds me of some beaked dinosaurs. As an example, a Protoceratops and that alone is a good reason for me to photograph this specimen here. In some ancient turtle species, beaks appear earlier than shells, a demonstration of mozaic evolution, an idea where characteristics can evolve independently from each other and at a different rate, primarily for a specific function or structural benefit.

Protoceratops is a quadrupedal dino with distinctive neck frill. They are about 6 feet in length and 2 feet high, weighing almost 400 pounds. Recent studies suggest they are nocturnal animals, but occasionally practised a cathemeral lifestyle in intervals. These ceratopsians may have been the root of a mythical creature known as the Griffin. Griffins are described as lion sized, quadrupeds with large claws, raptor bird like beak and laid their eggs on the ground. When the Greeks made first contact with Scythian nomads and the skeletal remaining of this species, stories of them guarding the gold deposits in arid hills and red sandstone formations were told. This fits in well with the fossils found in gold rich areas around the neighbouring mountains of China and Mongolia. How cool is that?

Skulls of the testudine order reminds me of some beaked dinosaurs. As an example, a Protoceratops and that alone is a good reason for me to photograph this specimen here. In some ancient turtle species, beaks appeared earlier than shells, a demonstration of mozaic evolution, an idea where characteristics can evolve independently from each other and at a different rate, primarily for a specific function or structural benefit. Did you know?