The Giant Squids of the Jurassic Period
This belemnite swam in what used to be Wyoming seas The post The Giant Squids of the Jurassic Period appeared first on Nautilus .
Belemnites, once abundant in ancient Wyoming seas, have left behind a significant fossil record in the Sundance formation. A recent study published in Papers in Palaeontology unveils the discovery of a new belemnite species, Wyoteuthis linsterorum, named after the late fossil collector Cliff Linster. With its cylindrical body and squid-esque butt, this ancient creature had a distinctive appearance, standing out among the typical Wyoming belemnites.
Measuring nearly 2.5 inches wide and extending roughly two feet in length, W. linsterorum is an extraordinary find, dwarfing its contemporaries. Despite its unusual size and shape, this Late Jurassic belemnite shares some similarities with European Rhopaloteuthis, suggesting a possible local ecological adaptation to similar environments.
However, W. linsterorum's rarity in the Sundance formation, compared to the abundance of smaller belemnites, indicates a narrow ecological niche. It may have specialized in preying on smaller belemnites, or its habitat could have been located along the oceanic shelf, with occasional specimens entering the Sundance Sea. Either way, W. linsterorum undoubtedly represents a giant among belemnites during its time.
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