Giant Freshwater Turtle Fossil Discovered in Brazilian Amazon

The newly-identified species, Peltocephalus maturin, lived between 40,000 and 9,000 years ago, suggesting a coexistence with early human settlers.

Peltocephalus maturin, a giant freshwater turtle species, has been discovered in the Brazilian Amazon, with a carapace length of about 1.8 meters (5.9 feet).
The species lived during the Late Pleistocene, between 40,000 and 9,000 years ago, making it one of the largest freshwater turtles ever found.
The discovery indicates that giant freshwater turtles coexisted with early human inhabitants in the Amazon region.
Morphological and phylogenetic analyses suggest the turtle had an omnivorous diet and close affinities to living Amazonian species.
The species is named after a character from Stephen King's novels, reflecting its significant size and the mystery surrounding its existence and extinction.