Discovered: The turtle the size of a SmartCar..

UK Daily Mail ^ | May 18, 2012 | Eddie Wrenn

[C19fan]

The same site was were the fossil of the largest snake ever discovered were found, Titanoboa. The site is amazing because it shows animals that developed just after the dinosaurs were wiped out.

[BigCinBigD]

That’s a lot of soup!

[Joe Brower]

Is this a newly-discovered species, then? The article doesn't really say.

Archelon has been known for a long while, and was much larger.

[backwoods-engineer]

Discovered: The turtle the size of a SmartCar...

In other news, Pres__ent Obama announced that all adults will be mandated to buy a SmartCar the size of a turtle.

[C19fan]

Yes it is a new species post-Cretaceuous

[immadashell]

If it was a snapping turtle it could eat a smart car.

[shove_it]

"...Pres__ent Obama announced that all adults will be mandated to buy a SmartCar the size of a turtle."

Yup. A three wheeler, just like the turtle.

[PUGACHEV]

I've always wondered why some animals in ancient times were so much larger than today. Was it because their predators or their prey was larger, sort of like an arms race?

[cuban leaf]

[varmintman]

I've always wondered why some animals in ancient times were so much larger than today. Was it because their predators or their prey was larger, sort of like an arms race?

One word: gravity..... It's a fairly easy demonstration that the larger dinosaurs could not function in present gravity. There are different theories as to why gravity might have been different in ancient times.

[C19fan]

At least in terms of this turtle and Titanoboa the rain forest they lived in were much warmer than say the Amazon forest is enabling these cold blooded reptiles to grow much bigger than anything in the Amazon today.

[C19fan]

At least in terms of this turtle and Titanoboa the rain forest they lived in were much warmer than say the Amazon forest is enabling these cold blooded reptiles to grow much bigger than anything in the Amazon today.

[Smokin' Joe]

I have seen turtle shells up to 5 ft. (some may be larger) eroding out in Wyoming. Crocodile remains, too.

Federal Land; can't touch 'em. So they erode away.

[Smokin' Joe]

It's a fairly easy demonstration that the larger dinosaurs could not function in present gravity.

Maybe they were 'light in the loafers' (which might help explain why they died out...)

[Sudetenland]

LOL!!! There could not have been any change in gravity on Earth for billions of years, far-far-far ahead of any life appearing. Gravity is solely a function of mass and the mass of the planet hasn't changed markedly since its initial formation.

No, there was no gravitational change associated with the extinction of dinosaurs.

[FreeAtlanta]

It is turtley enough for the turtle club.

[Clock King]

Is this a newly-discovered species, then?

We're in the Era of Obama, where everything must be New!, and Hip!, Awesome! Children are no longer taught anything, so as to make it seem like everything old is New!

[Conservative4Ever]

LOL Very cute

[Boogieman]

“Gravity is solely a function of mass”

That’s incorrect. There is also the gravitational constant. Can we be certain that has never changed?

[FreeAtlanta]

could not function in present gravity

As crazy as that sounds, I have often wondered if gravity would have a big impact.

The Earth adds mass continually from space dust and meteors;

The Earth gains mass each day as a result of incoming debris from space. You may have even seen evidence of this activity in the form of a 'falling star', or meteor, on a dark night.

While the actual amount of added material depends on which study you look at, an estimated 10 to the 8th power kilograms of in-falling matter accumulates every day. That seemingly large amount, however, IS insignificant compared to the Earth's total mass of almost 10 to the 25th power kilograms.

In other words, Earth adds an estimated one quadrillionth of one percent to its weight each day. I don't know of any counteracting mass LOSS mechanism of any consequence.

I have never done the numbers to figure out how much gravitational impact that would be on large animals and vegetation.