Plucked from a pit of grey clay next to a rubbish dump in southern Poland, fossilized turtle shells resembling the battle-scarred shields of ancient warriors are the world’s oldest and most complete.
Dating back 215 million years, experts say they could provide invaluable clues in solving the riddle of the origin of this ancient reptile, venerated by cultures across the globe.
“Late-Triassic turtle fossils are extremely rare. There are around eight spots on Earth where you might find them, and here in Poland we’ve unearthed the oldest and most extensive collection,” said Tomasz Sulej, a palaeobiologist with the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) who made the discovery in a region known as the Polish Jurassic Highland.
“I’d say my guardian angel led me here,” Sulej said of a hunch that inspired him to poke around a landfill near the southern town of Poreba in September 2008.
Euphoria came after just 15 minutes as he unearthed a prized turtle fossil, which recent tests confirmed to be the world’s oldest.
The prestigious Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology and National Geographic Polska recently published details of the discovery.
“Finding something that has been in the mud for 215 million years, it’s like bringing it back to life!” Sulej exclaimed on a trip back to the site.
While turtle fossils of a similar age were also discovered in Germany, the Polish find includes shells, along with neck and tail vertebrae, as well as limb bones that are unique.
“We’ve discovered two species, including one which is unknown,” Sulej said.
His team identified a Proterochersis-type turtle similar to a single Proterochersis robusta fossil found in Germany, while another appears to be of a smaller, as yet unknown species.
This region’s picturesque, craggy countryside shaped during the Jurassic era and known for vast nearby coal reserves has proven to be a prehistoric treasure trove.
Sulej’s discovery came on the heels of a new 200 million-year-old dinosaur species unearthed in nearby Lisowice in 2006-7. It was christened the Smok Wawelski —Wawel Dragon — after a fabled fire-breathing dragon, whose lair was in a cave at the foot of Krakow’s 14th century Wawel Castle.
Digs in the area have turned up several hundred fossils from six species including turtles, sharks, scaled fish and dinosaurs.
Now, Sulej says his mission is to find a turtle skull. Though fossils carry no organic material for DNA testing, their structures hold precious clues to the origins of species.
“Each new turtle fossil is invaluable as it could provide clues to their origin, which up to now has been a bit of a mystery,” he said.
These most ancient of creatures are thought to have evolved from Procolophons, a type of parareptile living in the Permian period up to 300 million years ago. The Odontochelys semitestace, a 2008 find in China dating back 220 million years has also been classed by experts as a turtle ancestor, which like them had a belly shell, but unlike them had teeth and no full top shell.
DNA tests on modern-day turtles suggest they may be related to crocodiles, according to Sulej. Adding to the intrigue, Procolophons are not thought to be related to crocs, he said.
The bright yellow spokes on the shell of a Radiated Tortoise native to Madagascar catch the eye of school children visiting the Warsaw Zoo.
“They’re like army tanks with their heavy armor!” exclaims 12-year-old Wojtek.
But the shells that have afforded turtles protection from predators for aeons are no match for humans. Hunted for meat, traditional medicine or caught in the illegal pet trade, this species could become extinct during Wojtek’s lifetime.
About half of the globe’s 328 recognized species of fresh water and marine turtles and land-faring tortoises could vanish in the coming decades, according to the Turtle Conservation Coalition, an alliance of wildlife societies around the globe.
“After being here for a couple hundred million years, dozens of species of turtles are now on the verge of extinction, quite simply due to being captured or eaten on an unprecedented scale, particularly in Asia,” says Mariusz Lech, reptile keeper at the zoo.
Known to live up to 130 years, these ancient creatures carry deep meaning as primordial symbols of longevity, stability, security and wisdom and feature in creation myths from India to native North America. Yet their future seems bleak.
“Being realistic about the modern-day threats they face, especially in southeast Asia — China, the Philippines, Indonesia or Madagascar — turtles are disappearing fast. Some species could vanish within 20 years if radical steps aren’t taken to protect them now,” Lech warned.
World’s oldest turtle shells stand the test of time
World’s oldest turtle shells stand the test of time
Dwayne Johnson talks career pivot and Riyadh’s WrestleMania 43
LOS ANGELES: No one expects an action icon to enter the awards conversation, yet that is exactly where Dwayne Johnson finds himself today, and it is not by accident but a deliberate creative risk.
For years, Johnson was boxed into a brand, the unstoppable action superstar built for big moments and even bigger box office returns. Now he is challenging that identity, and the industry is paying attention.
In “The Smashing Machine,” Johnson steps into unfamiliar territory with a dramatic role backed by A24 and helmed by filmmaker Benny Safdie. It is the kind of project he describes as intimidating, not because of scale, but what it demanded emotionally.
In a recent exclusive interview, Johnson said: “The films I’ve made in the past that I’ve loved, they didn’t scare me, and there wasn’t a fear involved.
“But with this, this was different because it was not only a very dramatic role in an arthouse film from an arthouse studio in A24 with an auteur director and Benny Safdie.
“But it was also represented for me, an opportunity to do something that I never thought I could do.”
That framing explains the shift. The film marks a clear pivot, a performance that favors vulnerability over spectacle and intention over comfort. It is not a role chosen to repeat what already works but because it is difficult.
Johnson has also been increasingly direct about the balance he wants to represent on screen. Strength, he argues, does not require emotional distance. Vulnerability is not the opposite of masculinity but part of it.
“And in my opinion, it’s okay to be masculine. It’s important to be anchored in who you are. But it’s also important to know that in the same room, masculinity and vulnerability can coexist and they can breathe the same air, and it’s OK to cry.”
That message resonates because it mirrors the career moment. For an actor who built his dominance through power and certainty, choosing a role rooted in emotion reads as a real creative leap.
The response has been immediate. Awards chatter has grown louder, and, following a glowing reception at the Venice Film Festival, his Oscar potential was widely buzzed about.
At the same time, Johnson’s global profile continues to intersect with Saudi Arabia at a historic moment for international sports entertainment.
The WWE has confirmed that WrestleMania 43 will be held in Riyadh in 2027, marking the first time the company’s flagship event takes place outside North America.
As one of wrestling’s most iconic figures, Johnson has publicly welcomed the move, underscoring the scale of the event and its global significance.
“Well, I could tell you that I’m excited for the brand of WrestleMania.
“I’m excited for The Kingdom because that is a big show. And I’m also excited not only for the brand, but I’m excited for our athletes, to be able to participate in an event like that. And that is a global event.”
What makes this moment especially striking is how many worlds Johnson now occupies at once.
He is redefining himself on screen while remaining a central figure in global popular culture, from cinema to live international spectacle. Few stars operate simultaneously at this level across such different arenas.
