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'''Meiolania''' ("Small killer") is an extinct genus of cryptodire turtle from the Oligocene period to Holocene period, with the last relic populations at New Caledonia which survived until 2000 years ago. It was huge, measuring 2.5 m (8 ft 4 inches) in length. It lived in Australia and New Caledonia and fed on plants. Its surviving relatives are the cryptodire turtles of South America. The meiolania-specimens which were once living at New Caledonia and on Lord Howe Island were much smaller than their giant relatives from the Australian continent.
''Meiolania'' had an unusually shaped skull that sported many knob-like and horn-like protrusions. Two large horns faced sideways, giving the skull a total width of 60 cm (2 ft). These same horns would have prevented the beast from withdrawing its head into its shell, however. The tail was protected by armored 'rings' and sported thorn-like spikes at the end.
When the first fossil remains (a vertebra) was first found, and studied, it was originally thought to be a lizard, namely, a large monitor lizard smaller than the Megalania (''Megalania prisca'', now also known as ''Varanus priscus''), and thus, was named accordingly. Later, when more remains were found, it was realized that the "small killer" was actually a turtle, and not a lizard. Some synonyms of include "Miolania," and "Ceratochelys."

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Cultural Reference

Meiolania was featured in

Reference

External links

★ ''Meiolania platyceps'' Owen (The Australian Museum; photo)

★ Mikko's Phylogeny Archive on Cryptodira