Ocepechelon Temporal range: Maastrichtian
~ | |
---|---|
Skull and size comparison of Ocepechelon | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Testudines |
Suborder: | Cryptodira |
Clade: | Panchelonioidea (?) |
Family: | †Protostegidae |
Genus: | †Ocepechelon Bardet et al, 2013 |
Type species | |
†Ocepechelon bouyai Bardet et al, 2013
|
Ocepechelon is an extinct genus of giant protostegid sea turtle known from the Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian stage, 67 Myr) of Morocco. The feeding apparatus of Ocepechelon, a bony pipette-like snout, is unique among tetrapods and shares unique convergences with both syngnathid fishes (unique long tubular bony snout ending in a rounded and forward directed mouth) and beaked whales (large size and elongated edentulous jaws).