Green Sea

Turtle
[Chelonia mydas]
 SBI3U

Introduction to
the Species
Name: Chelonia mydas

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
r e e n S ea
Family: Cheloniidae The G
t s n a me
e ge ts i
Tu rt l
Genus: Chelona g re en
from i t s
e d f a t an d
colour
a r t i l a g e.
c
Habitat/Environment

This species resides mostly in the salty tropical and subtropical waters (above 20°C) of the Atlantic,
Pacific and Indian Oceans.

They are commonly found in shallow water (represented by the dark blue on the map) and rarely
Characteristics and Physical Adaptations
Length: 28 to 60 inches
Head Weight: 300-350 pounds
The head of a green sea turtle is small and rounded. The skin on the
Flipper Limbs Lifespan: 50-100 years
head is thick and scaly. Green sea turtles have four paddle-like flipper limbs that enable
the turtle to move quickly and freely underwater.

Unlike other turtles, the head of a green sea turtle is not retractable.
Each flipper limb has claws used for protection, movement and
grip.

Shell
Tail
The shell of a green sea turtle is known to be The tails of green sea turtles have important roles in the
• Oval-shaped digestive, urinary and reproductive systems of the turtle.
• Long
• Smooth The tail is an element of sexual dimorphism. Males and
• Found in various shades of black, gray, green, brown and females differ morphologically by the lengths of their tails.
yellow Females have shorter tails whereas males have longer tails.
• covered with a layer of scale-like structures called scutes

Control on Heart Rate
The green sea turtle cannot breathe
underwater. However, the green sea turtle has
the ability to slow down its rate to conserve
oxygen use and hold their breaths for long
Additional Adaptations
Sense of Magnetic Field
Green sea turtles have a sense that allows
them to use the Earth's magnetic field to
provide directional information when
travelling vast distances.
 250 million years ago 240 million years ago 220 million years ago

Odontochelys semitestacea
Characteristics:
Eunotosaurus africanus

Pappochelys
Characteristics: Characteristics:
• terrestrial • terrestrial • semiaquatic

• had strong forearms • expanded torso • plastron was developed

with wide and flat ribs • gastrula was fused to for protection

• armoured dome form a plastron type

structure

Founder Natural
Effect Selection

Evolution
 195 million years ago 180 million years ago 80 million years ago 40 million years ago

Desmatochelys Padillai
Proganochelys quenstedti

Ctenochelys acris
Characteristics: Characteristics: Characteristics:

Chelonia mydas
Characteristics:
• semiaquatic • first aquatic sea turtle • first hard-shelled sea • modern-day green sea
• developed a carapace • similar phenotype, turtle turtle
for protection lifestyle and breeding • teardrop-shaped ad
• lacked the ability to pattern of modern-day smooth shell
retract its head sea turtles • large paddle-like
• lost bottom teeth • flipper limbs flippers
• had a beak • flat and wide shell

Parapatric Habitat Adaptive Bottleneck

Speciation Isolation Radiation Effect

Evolution
 Variation Within the Species
With further breakdown on Pangea and the uprising of Central America (from its submerged
location), the populations of the green sea turtles faced geographic isolation. The geographic
barrier reduced gene flow between the populations and affected the gene pool.

Although it is not far enough to cause speciation, there are two distinct subspecies. That is the
Atlantic green sea turtle and the pacific black green sea turtle.
 Thank You!!!
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