You are in the shallow lagoons of Germany, 228 million years ago.

The sun was scorching on the mudflats of the Late Triassic. You kneeled near the edge of the quiet, brackish lagoon, watching the water shimmer. Something was moving near the surface, something that looked entirely out of place—a turtle, you thought.

But it was not a turtle.

It swam ponderously, a broad, flattened body paddling through the shallow murky water. It was tiny, only about a meter long, with a wide, boxy body protected by a thick, bony shell. It brought its head up for air, and you couldn't help but chuckle. It had a beak-like snout, looking comical and specialized. It was clearly not a fast swimmer.

The mysterious creature dipped its head down again, not chasing fish, but foraging. It used its peculiar flat, peg-like teeth to filter-feed, straining algae and small organisms from the muddy bottom. You stayed perfectly still as it passed near you, this little "turtle imposter" of the prehistoric world, perfectly adapted for a quiet, armored life.