Lesson plan
Turtle shell
The turtle shell is a shield for turtles (order Testudines), completely enclosing all the turtle's vital organs and in some cases even the head. It comprises an upper part, the carapace, and lower part, the plastron, connected by a bony bridge. It is constructed of modified bony elements such as the ribs, parts of the pelvis, and other bones found in most reptiles. The bone of the shell consists of both skeletal and dermal bone, showing that the complete enclosure of the shell likely evolved by including dermal armor into the rib cage. The turtle's shell is important to study, not just because of the apparent protection it provides for the animal, but also as an identification tool, in particular with fossils, as the shell is one of the most likely parts of a turtle to survive fossilization. Therefore, understanding the shell structure in living species provides comparable material with fossils. The shell of the hawksbill turtle, among other species, has been used as a material for a wide range of small decorative and practical items since antiquity, including food and medicine, but is normally referred to as tortoiseshell.
Article summary
The turtle shell is a shield for turtles (order Testudines), completely enclosing all the turtle's vital organs and in some cases even the head. It comprises an upper part, the carapace, and lower part, the plastron, connected by a bony bridge. It is constructed of modified bony elements such as the ribs, parts of the pelvis, and other bones found in most reptiles. The bone of the shell consists of both skeletal and dermal bone, showing that the complete enclosure of the shell likely evolved by including dermal armor into the rib cage. The turtle's shell is important to study, not just because of the apparent protection it provides for the animal, but also as an identification tool, in particular with fossils, as the shell is one of the most likely parts of a turtle to survive fossilization. Therefore, understanding the shell structure in living species provides comparable material with fossils. The shell of the hawksbill turtle, among other species, has been used as a material for a wide range of small decorative and practical items since antiquity, including food and medicine, but is normally referred to as tortoiseshell.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.