Niolamia
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Artistic reconstruction of live Niolamia by Heinrich Harder
Niolamia is an extinct genus turtles that lived in the Upper Cretaceous in southern South America. Its closest relatives include Meiolania, Ninjemys and Crossochelys. The only way is Niolamia argentina.
Description
Niolamia owned at head and tail of spine -like appendages and spines that might have served to ward off enemies. At the top were two large horns. Based on these horns, one can distinguish the relatives of Niolamia. This large turtle was about 2 feet long and weighed about 200 kilograms.
Niolamia was a herbivore, as her toothless beak proves. The beak was perfectly suited to abzurupfen ferns and other plants.
Habitat and behavior
Niolamia was a land-dwelling turtle and lived in a rather dry area. Patagopteryx, a small, early bird, also lived here. Also, the sauropod Saltasaurus lived here. Gasparinisaura was one of the smaller herbivores.
To predators in the Cretaceous Argentina included, among others Abelisaurus and Velocisaurus. Alvarezsaurus was against a harmless insect eaters, but while the snake Dinilysia could be only the eggs of Niolamia dangerous. Like all turtles lay eggs Niolamia.
The only turtle Niolamia her family lived on the South American mainland. Only Crossochelys from the Eocene also lived in South America.
Extinction
Niolamia died 65 million years ago with the dinosaurs. The mass extinction was probably caused by an asteroid impact, which slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula.