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Ancient Life in Kansas Rocks, part 23 of 27


Common Fossils of Kansas--Reptiles

Tertiary

Testudo, a land tortoise, is familiar to all because it has living representatives today. This specimen, shown at slightly less than one-sixth actual size) comes from the Pliocene of western Kansas. Testudo is known to be restricted to areas where temperatures remain above freezing all year; therefore it is believed that this fossil indicates that Kansas was warm all year long during the time the animal lived here. (Ogallala Formation, Pliocene)

fossil tortoise shell


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Kansas Geological Survey
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