# Ninja Turtle discovered

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 28, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828 "2008-11-28T18:47:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tyrrell_mcallister/32/16772_2.png) [@Tyrrell\_McAllister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tyrrell_McAllister)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828/1 "2008-11-28T18:47:29Z")

</div>

From the [Scientific American website](http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=how-did-turtles-get-their-shells-2008-11-26):

> [@](#):
>
> An international team of paleontologists led by Chun Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing analyzed the 16-inch- (40 centimeter-) long fossil, which was discovered in Guizhou Province in southwestern China. They conclude that the bones belonged to a Triassic turtle ancestor, which they named Odontochelys semitestacea, meaning “toothed turtle **with a half shell**.”

For it is [written](http://www.lyricstime.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-heroes-in-a-half-shell-lyrics.html)

> [@](#):
>
> Teenage mutant ninja turtles
> 
> Teenage mutant ninja turtles
> 
> Teenage mutant ninja turtles
> 
> Heroes in a half shell, turtle power

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828/2 "2008-11-28T18:52:59Z")

</div>

Were any Paleozoic pizza boxes found in the area?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828/3 "2008-11-28T18:58:21Z")

</div>

That is cool. Thanks for sharing. I’ve often wondered about the evolution of turtles myself.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828/4 "2008-11-28T19:04:47Z")

</div>

The painting of what they may have looked like might be too cute to illustrate a prehistoric reptile. They look like concept art for stuffed animals.

Fascinating that the shell appears to have started on the stomach rather than the back. I’d never put too much thought into the evolution of turtles and didn’t really think of the potential dangers from _below_ for an aquatic animal.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![VanillaGorilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@VanillaGorilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanillaGorilla)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828/5 "2008-11-28T20:46:19Z")

</div>

[http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in\_article\_id=69717&in\_page\_id=34](http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=69717&in_page_id=34) \<– This is what they looked like.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Collaborator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Collaborator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Collaborator)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ninja-turtle-discovered/474828/6 "2008-11-29T05:26:44Z")

</div>

A street fighter found a ninja turtle?