The development of a modern turtle does not reconstitute the evolutionary history of its kinds, but it can provide clues to the underlying mechanisms of the turtle body evolution. For instance, if the CR indeed is responsible for the maintenance of the fan-shape pattern of the ribs, it is likely that ancient turtles with fan-shaped ribs had a CR during embryonic development. It is also possible to make predictions based on the observed developmental processes; for example, that the arrest in rib growth preceded the enclosure of the scapula during evolution. Ribs encasing the lateral body wall ventrally would pose a physical barrier to the displacement of the scapula, so it is more likely that rib growth was altered first.