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A 2026 paper describes two fossil turtle shells from Middle Miocene deposits in Peru, both assigned to the extinct side-necked turtle Chelus colombiana. The larger shell, catalogued as MUSM-920, measures 84.6 cm in carapace length, and the authors estimate that the animal weighed about 65 kg. The paper describes the shell as one of the largest known for the genus Chelus. It does not establish that this turtle is the largest freshwater turtle ever known, so the headline’s broader claim needs a narrower reading.
What was found
The study, by Edwin-Alberto Cadena and colleagues, is titled “New fossil material of Chelus (Testudines: Chelidae) from the Middle Miocene of Peru.” It appeared in the journal Palaeoworld as volume 35, issue 5, article 201135, with DOI 10.1016/j.palwor.2026.201135. The authors describe two shells attributed to Chelus colombiana. Living members of Chelus, such as the matamata of South America, belong to the same side-necked group, which hides its head sideways under the shell rather than straight back.
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Both specimens are held at the Museo de Historia Natural of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Lima.
How big the shells are
The key measurements come from the larger specimen. MUSM-920 has a carapace (upper shell) length of 84.6 cm. The authors estimate that the living animal weighed approximately 65 kg. That mass is an estimate derived from the shell size; the accessible abstract does not spell out the method, so treat 65 kg as a modelled figure rather than a weighed one.
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| Specimen | Where it was found | Carapace length | Estimated body mass |
|---|---|---|---|
| MUSM-920 | Inuya River, Fitzcarrald Arch region | 84.6 cm (study authors, 2026) | About 65 kg (study authors’ estimate, 2026) |
| MUSM-5003 | Lignite deposits near Iquitos | Not stated in the accessible abstract | Not stated in the accessible abstract |
The second shell is reported as part of the same study, but its measurements are not given in the accessible abstract, so the size comparison in this article rests on MUSM-920 alone.
Where the specimens come from and what they add
MUSM-920 was recovered near the Inuya River in the Fitzcarrald Arch region, and MUSM-5003 came from lignite beds near Iquitos. Both sites lie within the broader Pebas wetland system, a large lowland wetland that covered much of western Amazonia during the Miocene.
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The authors say the new records extend the known geographic range of C. colombiana to the southwestern margins of that wetland system. This is a range extension within a known species, not the discovery of a new species. Because the two specimens are shells, their placement in Chelus rests on the shell material the authors describe.
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The headline phrase “among largest freshwater turtles ever known” goes further than the study. The paper’s abstract places MUSM-920 among the largest known shells for Chelus. That is a genus-level comparison. It is not a global ranking of every freshwater turtle, and the study does not provide one.
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Some news coverage compares the Peruvian shell with a partial Brazilian specimen. A partial specimen cannot be measured in the same way as a complete shell, so that comparison supports a size judgement within the genus but not a claim about the largest freshwater turtles overall. Freshwater turtles from many other lineages, living and extinct, were not part of this paper’s comparison.
Age of the fossils
The journal record places both specimens in the Middle Miocene. One news report gives an age of roughly 10 to 15 million years. That figure comes from secondary coverage rather than from the paper’s stated stratigraphic position, so the Middle Miocene designation is the one to rely on.
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What remains uncertain
The authors note that associated cranial remains, meaning skull material, are lacking. Skulls are among the most useful features for separating fossil Chelus species, so their absence is a major obstacle to resolving the taxonomy of the group. The new shells extend the record of C. colombiana in space and size, but they do not settle which fossil forms should be recognised as distinct species. Readers should treat the size and range findings as firm within the study’s scope, and the species-level questions as open.
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