Stupendemys

Stupendemys is an extinct genus of giant freshwater turtles from northern South America. Its species lived during the Miocene, and the largest known individuals had shells more than three meters long.

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Pleurodira: Pleurodira is the turtle suborder whose members retract their heads by bending the neck sideways. Stupendemys belongs to this side-necked turtle lineage.
Stupendemys geographicus: Stupendemys geographicus is a species of giant Miocene turtle known from northern South America. It is the best-known species and includes exceptionally large fossil shells.
Sexual dimorphism: Sexual dimorphism is a difference in traits between males and females of the same species. Specimens with prominent shell horns have been interpreted as evidence of sex-related differences.
Carbonemys: Carbonemys is an extinct genus of giant side-necked turtle known from Paleocene Colombia. It offers a much older South American comparison for turtle gigantism.
Rodolfo Sánchez: Rodolfo Sánchez is a Venezuelan paleontologist who has studied Neogene vertebrate fossils. His research contributed to describing and interpreting important Stupendemys material.
Podocnemididae: Podocnemididae is a family of side-necked turtles that includes living and extinct South American and African forms. The genus is part of this turtle family.
Stupendemys souzai: Stupendemys souzai is a species assigned to the extinct genus Stupendemys. Its fossils broaden the known diversity of the genus.
Turtle shell: A turtle shell is a specialized skeletal structure formed from the animal's ribs, vertebrae, and other bones. The shell's structure underlies estimates of Stupendemys's body size and protection.
Purussaurus: Purussaurus is an extinct genus of giant caiman from Miocene South America. This enormous crocodilian shared freshwater ecosystems with Stupendemys.
Venezuela: Venezuela is a country on the northern coast of South America. Many significant Stupendemys fossils were recovered from Venezuelan deposits.