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Belemnotheutis

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Belemnotheutis is an extinct coleoid cephalopod genus from the middle and upper Jurassic, related to but morphologically distinct from belemnites. Belemnotheutis fossils are some of the best preserved among coleoids. Remains of soft tissue are well-documented in some specimens, even down to microscopic muscle tissue. In 2008, a group of paleontologists even recovered viable ink from ink sacs found in several specimens.

Species

GENUS

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumMollusca
  3. ClassCephalopoda
  4. OrderBelemnitida
  5. FamilyBelemnoteuthididae

via GBIF

Museum specimens

Specimen records
1
Family
Belemnoteuthididae
Collections
NRM
Recorded in
United Kingdom

~16 min read

Encyclopedic overview

8 sections
Contents
  • Description
  • Distribution and geological time range
  • Taxonomy and nomenclature
  • Species
  • Fossil ink
  • History and controversy
  • References
  • External links

Belemnotheutis is an extinct coleoid cephalopod genus from the middle and upper Jurassic, related to but morphologically distinct from belemnites. Belemnotheutis fossils are some of the best preserved among coleoids. Remains of soft tissue are well-documented in some specimens, even down to microscopic muscle tissue. In 2008, a group of paleontologists even recovered viable ink from ink sacs found in several specimens.

This genus was the subject of a dispute between several eminent 19th century British paleontologists, notably between Richard Owen and Gideon Mantell. Some authors incorrectly spell the genus Belemnoteuthis following the usual spelling teuthis (τευθίς) for 'squid'.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Belemnotheutis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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