According to the fossil record, turtles first appeared in the Triassic period around 230 million years ago, and have changed little since. Crucially, turtles lack temporal fenestrae, suggesting that they are the living relatives of a more primitive reptilian form that pre-dates the diapsids.

Are turtles older than dinosaurs?

Believed to have been around a long time ago, turtles are among the oldest and most primitive reptiles today. Scientists claim that ancient turtles lived along with dinosaurs approximately 110 million years ago, until the K-Pg extinction event, which wiped out the dinosaurs.

When was turtles first discovered?

Turtles first appear in the fossil record of the Triassic period, from about 215 million years ago. This gives them an older fossil history than any other living kind of four-legged animal.