Earth and Planetary Sciences · Paleontology
Green turtle nesting numbers at Indo-Pacific sites have increased fourfold over 30 years, but more turtles now appear to take four years rather than three to return and breed. The longer interval could reduce the number of nests produced by each adult, possibly because crowded populations make it harder to build the condition needed for migration and breeding.
A reexamined glyptodont skull from Lagoa Santa, Brazil, has been proposed as a new species, Glyptotherium deuterophractum. The fossil had been assigned to other species for decades, but its combination of anatomical features distinguishes it from related glyptodonts.
Relocating green turtle nests affected hatching success and hatchling development in ways that were not explained by average incubation temperature alone. The findings suggest that leaving nests in place is preferable when possible, and that relocation sites should be assessed for more than their temperature.
