biology

Itilochelys

Itilochelys is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Itilochelys rather than just read about it. In short: Itilochelys is an extinct genus of sea turtle in the family Cheloniidae containing the single species Itilochelys rasstrigin. The species is known only from the Early Paleocene, Danian stage Rasstrigin 2 locality, Dubovsky District, Volgograd Oblast, Russia.

Key takeaways

Itilochelys belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Itilochelys to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Itilochelys from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Itilochelys is an extinct genus of sea turtle in the family Cheloniidae containing the single species Itilochelys rasstrigin. The species is known only from the Early Paleocene, Danian stage Rasstrigin 2 locality, Dubovsky District, Volgograd Oblast, Russia.

History and classification Itilochelys rasstrigin is known only from three fossils, the holotype, specimen number "ZIN PH 1/118" and two referred specimens, numbers "ZIN PH 2/118" and "ZIN PH 3/118" . The type specimen is composed of a grouping of cervical vertebrae I-III, partial skull, and disarticulated lower jaw. Specimen ZIN PH 2/118 is an isolated section of dentary while ZIN PH 3/118 is a right humerus. The fossils were all recovered by A. A. Yarkov from fossiliferous outcrops of the Beryozovaya beds exposed at the Rasstrigin 2 locality. As of 2011, the type and referred specimens are preserved in the Paleoherptological collections housed at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Itilochelys was first studied by I. G. Danilov and A. O. Averianov of the Zoological Institute along with A. A. Yarkov of the Natural History, Humanitarian Institute in Volgograd. Their 2010 type description of the genus and species was published in the journal Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RSA. The generic name was coined by Danilov, Averianov, and Yarkov as a combination of the medieval Arabian/Persian name of the Volga River, Itil, along with the Greek "chelys", meaning turtle. The specific epithet rasstrigin is in reference to the type locality of the specimen. Itilochelys rasstrigin is one of three fossil cheloniid sea turtle taxa which have been recovered from the Volgograd region and the most complete specimen recovered so far. The other two taxa are represented by a specimen of the genus Euclastes known from the Karpovka site and a specimen related to the genus Tasbacka from the Malaya Ivanovka site. The placement of Itilochelys rasstrigin in the family Cheloniidae is supported by the contact of the squamosal and parietal bones, an emarginated v-shaped crest on the underside of the basisphenoid, and features of the nasal bone structure. Placement of the species as a stem member in the family is based on the structure of the humerus which shows a morphology transitioning towards the derived pelagic structuring of modern cheloniids.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Itilochelys

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Itilochelys claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Itilochelys before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Itilochelys ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Itilochelys

In research: Itilochelys appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Itilochelys in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Itilochelys is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cheloniidae, Extinct turtles, Fossil taxa described in 2010, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Itilochelys outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Itilochelys in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Itilochelys means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Itilochelys out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Itilochelys in simple terms?

Why does Itilochelys matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Itilochelys?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Itilochelys.