The Mary River turtle has adapted to life underwater after splitting from all other living turtle lineages more than 18 million years ago. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn ...

The Mary River turtle is unique in its appearance and evolutionary history. It stands out as the sole species in its genus, having diverged from all other living species about 50 million years ago .

The Mary river turtle waddled its way on the list for a number of reasons: it's the only member of its genius, and according to EGDE's website, it became evolutionarily distinct 40 million years ago.