Turtle Plastron

This partial turtle plastron originates from the Kem Kem Beds of Morocco and dates to the Cretaceous period (~95 million years ago). The plastron, or lower shell, preserves distinct surface textures and bone structure that identify it as belonging to an ancient freshwater turtle.

Turtles were a common component of the Kem Kem ecosystem, sharing the waterways with massive fish, crocodile-like reptiles, and dinosaurs such as Spinosaurus. Fossil remains like this plastron fragment help paleontologists reconstruct the diversity of aquatic life that thrived in North Africa’s prehistoric river systems.