160-Million-Year-Old ‘Squid Butt’ Fossil Is the Chunkiest Belemnite Ever Found
Learn how two chunky fossils found in Wyoming revealed a new species of squid-like animal that lived 160 million years ago.
Around 160 million years ago, a large squid-like cephalopod, now extinct, swam in the ancient sea of what is now Wyoming during the Jurassic period. Two fossilized internal shell structures from these ancient cephalopods, called belemnites, led an international team of researchers to identify a new species named Wyoteuthis linsterorum.
The researchers described these belemnites as the chunkiest ever found, which inspired them to investigate further. Based on the fossils, the scientists estimated the animal's total length to be around 24 inches, including its arms. The discovery of this new species is significant because it is part of a prehistoric family thought to have been extinct for millions of years earlier. The research was published in Papers in Paleontology.
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