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How turtle shells evolved... twice - Judy Cebra Thomas

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TEDEd Animation

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Modern turtle shells are almost as diverse as the turtles themselves. Sea turtles have flatter, lighter shells for gliding through the water. Land-dwelling tortoises have domed shells that can slip free of predators’ jaws. Leatherback turtles have shells without the ring of bone around the edge. So how did the shell evolve? Judy Cebra-Thomas explores the ancestry of the turtle.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Judy Cebra Thomas
  • Director Cabong Studios, Daniel Finkel
  • Compositor Daniel Freire
  • Narrator Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Producer Felipe Grosso
  • Storyboard Artist Edgar Costa, Mateus Contini
  • Editor Daniel Freire
  • Art Director Daniel Freire
  • Senior Animator Daniel Freire
  • Character Designer Daniel Freire
  • Animator Fellipe Teixera, Jessé Alves, Daniel Mauad
  • Composer Matheus Wittmann
  • Sound Designer Matheus Wittmann
  • Illustrator Ricke Ito, Victor Goularte
  • Music Matheus Wittmann
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Fact-Checker Laura Shriver