ABSTRACT
Sea turtles, like all other turtles, have a unique body design that is characterized by the rib cage surrounding the shoulders and hips so the limbs appear to emerge from within the armored body. The anatomy of the sea turtle is what physically interacts with the environment. The bony skeleton gives sea turtle species their unique shape and size. The skeleton is dynamic and functions in many roles, ranging from serving as the system of levers upon which contracting muscles act to providing protective armor. The skeleton also serves as a mineral reserve and provides a record of the animal’s growth as well as a history of trophic level or food consumption (Biasatti, 2004; Avens and Snover, Chapter 5; Jones and Seminoff, Chapter 9). Bone is strong, dynamic, and persists long after death-long past the time when soft tissues have become food for many other organisms. When fossilized, the skeleton can teach us about the evolutionary history of the animals (see Zangerl, 1980).
