Odontochelys semitestacea

this is a really bizarre-looking turtle from the Triassic of China, about 220 million years ago. There is a Wikipedia article about it which is very badly written but does still give a good run-down and also has a recreation of what it would have looked like in life. When I was looking at this fossil I couldn\'t figure out what looked like several extra pairs of little feet sticking out either side of the body. It turns out that this species only had a lower shell (the plastron), the edges of which flared out sort of like fingers on a glove. It is a little hard to describe but go to Wikipedia and you will see what I mean.

For those interested in palaeontology, the Palaeozoological Museum Of China is absolutely outstanding. The museum is on three floors, the lower one for dinosaurs including several fully-mounted skeletons (the displays are a mix of real fossils and casts) and fossil fish, the next floor for more dinosaurs and birds, and the third for mammals. Really fascinating fossils here, although unfortunately all the signage is in Chinese apart for the scientific names.

Visited September 2013.