Suborder Cryptodira

The cryptodires were the most successful group of chelonians, and survive to this day — most modern turtles and tortoises belong to this group. Many of them can retract their heads into the shell by lowering the neck and pulling it back vertically.

As a group, the cryptodires evolved along with their pleurodire cousins during Jurassic times. But by the end of that period they had become enormously diverse, and replaced the pleurodires in the seas, rivers and lakes of the world. New forms developed on land.

stupendemys

proganochelys testudo testudo proganochelys stupendemys meiolania

meiolania archelon

pameotrionyx archelon pameotrionyx

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