A novel species of tortoise belonging to the genus Manouria has been identified by paleontologists affiliated with the Institute of Paleobiology at the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. This designation is based on fossilized remains unearthed in the Czech Republic.
Life restoration of Manouria morla. Image credit: Rudolf Hima.
The creature, designated as Manouria morla, inhabited the marshy regions of present-day Czech Republic during the Early Miocene epoch, a period spanning approximately 20 to 17 million years ago.
This newly described species represents the earliest known member of the Manouria evolutionary line. Currently, this genus is exclusively found in Southeast Asia and comprises four extinct species alongside two extant species: the Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys) and the impressed tortoise (Manouria impressa).
“Tortoises (family Testudinidae) constitute a group of turtles highly adapted to terrestrial existence, with their habitats primarily in semi-arid environments,” stated Dr. Milan Chroust, a paleontologist from the Institute of Paleobiology at the Polish Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with his colleagues.
“Within this family, individuals possessing a total carapace length exceeding 35-75 cm (14-30 inches) are categorized as medium to large tortoises, while those surpassing 75 cm are classified as giant species.”
“The extant members of the Testudinidae are broadly categorized into three principal divisions: the foundational genera Gopherus and Manouria (which can be interpreted as either basal lineages or sequential branches), alongside the clade Geochelona and the clade Testudona, with the latter two forming the subfamily Testudininae.”
The exhumed skeletal remains of Manouria morla, which included portions of both the carapace and plastron, along with various unidentifiable shell fragments, were discovered at the Ahníkov I fossil discovery site situated within the Most Basin of Bohemia.
Estimates suggest that the shell of this ancient tortoise measured around 50 cm (20 inches) in length.
“For many decades, the Ahníkov I locale has been recognized as indicative of a marshy territory characterized by meandering rivers and shallow bodies of water,” the paleontologists elaborated.
“The abundant presence of juvenile crocodilians, and potentially choristoderes, further suggested a wetland habitat situated near the shoreline.”
“However, the identification of the genus Manouria within these findings implies the existence of a broadleaf evergreen wet forest in close proximity to water sources, featuring a distinct rainy season and a cooler, drier interval. This environment is analogous to that of the present-day Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand.”
The unearthed evidence of Manouria morla significantly expands the known paleobiogeographical range of the Manouria genus, extending its ancestral presence much farther west, from Asia into the heart of Europe.
“Our research indicates that the genus Manouria likely originated in Europe shortly before the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, subsequently migrating to Asia, where it continues to exist today,” the researchers concluded.
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M. Chroust et al. 2025. Manouria morla sp. nov., the Ancient One: an Early Miocene large tortoise from the Swamps of Ahníkov, Czechia. Swiss J Palaeontol 144, 63; doi: 10.1186/s13358-025-00400-6
