Site 2 is positioned close to site 1 in a narrow cliff pass filled with fallen rock slabs and boulders. Results: After the fossil traces had been properly examined, it was concluded that the sets of tracks found in site 1, on a large slab of rock that had fallen off the side of a cliff, were those from hatchling loggerhead sea turtles. The boulder was photographed and taken to be preserved and studied at a separate location. Site 3 fossils were found on a portable boulder. Tracing diagrams were then drawn to illustrate detailed trackway patterns of the two hatchling species. Methods: This study used two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) photographed images of the trackways in track sites 1 and 2, not far from each other, showing the sea turtle hatchling trails that were preserved in the large slab of rock. The shorter arrow shows an uncertain trace, but this may signify the remains of a nest in the center where the circle is. (C) Site 3, the long arrows show two sets of loggerhead trackways, Australochelichnus agulhasii, from different hatchlings. (B) Site 2, a leatherback turtle hatchling curved trackway, Marinerichnus latus, with red marks to show the lengths of the inner and outer sidelines. The 2 track ways on the right show overlap. African sites with never before recorded sea turtle hatchling fossil traces (A) Site 1, 3 loggerhead hatchling track marks, Australochelichnus agulhasii. Some track marks showed multiple “footprints” coming out of a centralized area that could possibly represent the ancient nesting location. Two species of sea turtles were ultimately identified from their trace fossils at the sites as loggerhead ( Caretta caretta ) and leatherback ( Dermochelyis coriacea ) sea turtles. What data were used? Three coastal sites, showing never before seen fossilized sea turtle hatchling track marks were discovered on the south coast of South Africa originating from the late Pleistocene (~100,000 years ago). When she’s not studying geology, she enjoys walking in nature and listening to music. She is currently a senior and plans to pursue some experience in the field before continuing to further her education with a graduate program majoring in sedimentary geology. Summarized by Sophia Gutierrez, who is majoring in geology at the University of South Florida. New fossil sea turtle trackway morphotypes from the Pleistocene of South Africa highlight role of ichnology in turtle paleobiology
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