16 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The largest marine turtle fossil of its kind ever discovered in Europe unearthed in Spain

In northern Spain, scientists discovered the remains of a new species of enormous marine turtle. The prehistoric creature is the biggest of its kind ever found in Europe, weighing about two tons and measuring 12 feet long.

The turtle sailed the subtropical sea that swept through Europe’s island coast 83 million years ago. The size is comparable to that of a Mini Cooper. The largest turtle alive today, the gubernatorial turtle, which is 7 feet (2 meters) long and famous for its protracted sea migration, is dwarfed by that size.

Scientists described the turtle, which they named Leviathanochelys aenigmatica, in a paper published in Scientific Reports. “Leviathan” is a nod to the animal’s large body size, and “chelys” means turtle. “Aenigmatica” translates to enigma—in reference to some of the creature’s strange characteristics, the authors write.

Leviathanochelys nearly matched the largest turtle on record – Archelon, which lived roughly 70 million years ago and reached about 4.6 meters long.

“Leviathanochelys was as long as a Mini Cooper while Archelon was the same size as a Toyota Corolla,” said paleontologist and study co-author Albert Selles of the Institut Catala de Paleontologia (ICP), a research center affiliated with Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



The excavation site where fossils of the large Cretaceous Period sea turtle Leviathanochelys aenigmatica were discovered in Catalonia Alt Urgell county, northeastern Spain.
The excavation site where fossils of the large Cretaceous Period sea turtle Leviathanochelys aenigmatica were discovered in Catalonia Alt Urgell county, northeastern Spain.

The discovery was entirely by chance: a hiker discovered some bone fragments while walking in the Pyrenees mountains, writes James Ashworth for London’s Natural History Museum. After that, the remains were collected by a local museum and the Catalan Department of Culture, but no one studied them until 2021. Researchers began new excavations at the Pyrenees site and uncovered fragments of the turtle’s pelvis and carapace—the part of the shell that covers the creature’s back.

Fossil shows that it has a fine kakapas similar to a seaguide, with its own shell 7.7 feet (2.35 meters) long and 7.2 feet (2.2 meters wide). Leviathanochelys appears built for the open ocean, returning to land only rarely – for instance to lay eggs.

The presence of a pair of bone bulges on the front side of the pelvic differs from that of other known sea turtles, suggesting that. This shows that sea turtle gigantisme is developing independently in a separate Cretaceous lineage in North America and Europe.

“During the Cretaceous, there was a tendency in marine turtles to increase their body size. Leviathanochelys and Archelon might represent the apex of this process. The reason for this increase in body size has been hypothesized to be predatory pressures, but there might be other factors,” said Oscar Castillo, a student in a master’s degree program in paleontology at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and lead author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The presence of a couple of bony bulges on the front side of the pelvis differs from any other known sea turtle, indicating that Leviathanochelys represents a newly discovered lineage. It shows that gigantism in marine turtles developed independently in separate Cretaceous lineages in North America and Europe.

Cover Photo: Illustration of sea turtles. (Wikimedia Commons/Jordan Beard)

Related Articles

Marvelous Marble Floor Of Sunken Roman Villa Restored in Bacoli

19 July 2024

19 July 2024

In Bacoli, Italy, an underwater restoration project has uncovered the marvelous marble floor of a submerged Roman villa. This remarkable...

Failed Mongol fleet may actually land in Japan after 800 years

18 July 2023

18 July 2023

A  recent shipwreck was found off the coast of Japan this year and identified as part of a Mongol fleet...

A 1900-year-old stele was discovered in Turkey’s ancient city of Parion

5 August 2021

5 August 2021

A 1,900-year-old grave stele was found during excavations in Parion, an important ancient port city, near Kemer village in the...

Explore 1,400-year-old ruins, submerged in Eastern China – Atlantis of China

10 June 2023

10 June 2023

Deep in Qiandao Lake, between China’s Five Lion Mountains, lie the mysterious ruins of two ancient cities, dating back to...

Iron Age stone altar and gold-plated ceremonial sword discovered in Kazakhstan

14 August 2021

14 August 2021

A stone altar and a gold-plated ceremonial sword used in the early Iron Age were discovered during excavations along the...

Archaeologists discovered 7,000-years-old Neolithic Settlement in the Czech Republic

31 July 2024

31 July 2024

Archaeologists have discovered a Neolithic settlement of about 7,000 years old near Kutná Hora, east of Prague in the Czech...

The Mysterious Horsemen of Pir Panjal: Secrets of an Ancient Legacy in Jammu and Kashmir

24 April 2025

24 April 2025

Deep within the rugged Pir Panjal range in Jammu and Kashmir, India, lies a captivating mystery known as the Mysterious...

Manot Cave yielded evidence for ritualistic gathering 35,000 years ago, the earliest on the Asian continent

13 January 2025

13 January 2025

Archaeological research at the Manot Cave in what is now the Galilee in northern Israel has uncovered evidence of ritualistic...

Discovery of Ancient Ceremonial Complex with Mysterious Rock Carvings in Guerrero, Mexico

26 September 2025

26 September 2025

Archaeologists in southern Mexico have uncovered an ancient hilltop ceremonial center where enigmatic rock carvings and monumental platforms reveal centuries...

Archaeologists discover a new megalithic monument in heart of Andalusia in southern Spain – 5,000-year-old secret

5 May 2023

5 May 2023

Archaeologists in Spain uncovered a previously overlooked tomb while investigating the formation of La Peña de los Enamorados, also known...

Japan-Persia Ancient Ties

20 June 2021

20 June 2021

Japanese and Persian ancient ties go back to the 7th century. Silk Road connected Japan with countries and regions far...

Unique Ancient Bronze Miniature Portrait Of Alexander The Great Found In Ringsted On The Island Of Zealand, Denmark

12 April 2024

12 April 2024

Two amateur archaeologists have made a unique find near Ringsted in the Danish island of Zealand. A sign that one...

Remains of a Submerged Roman Harbor Discovered in Slovenia

7 March 2024

7 March 2024

Archaeologists from the Institute of Underwater Archaeology (ZAPA) have uncovered the remains of a submerged Roman harbor, off the coast...

The Oldest Odin Inscription in the World Found in the Vindelev treasure

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

Scientists have identified the earliest known inscription referring to the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disc unearthed...

Lost Coptic City in Egypt’s Western Desert Unearthed: A Glimpse Into Christianity’s Dawn in the Land of the Pharaohs

12 August 2025

12 August 2025

In the vast silence of Egypt’s Western Desert, archaeologists have stumbled upon a remarkable piece of history — the ruins...