AGE:
Late Cretaceous (Late Campanian-Early Maastrichtian), 70 million years ago

SIZE:
Shell about 25cm long but sizes of individuals would have varied considerably

MEANING OF NAME:
'Turtle from Mongolia'

PRONUNCIATION:
Mon-GOAL-em-mees

CLASSIFICATION:
CHELONIA: Cryptodira; Dermatemydidae

Turtles are known from the sediments producing dinosaurs. Turtles and crocodiles were typical inhabitants of the many lakes that existed in Central Asia during the Late Cretaceous.

Turtles, although protected by their shell, were not entirely safe, as some of the carapaces of Mongolemys have the tooth marks of crocodiles like Shamosuchus.

Carapace (shell) of Mongolemys, an aquatic turtle that lived with the dinosaurs.