Megateuthis

Megateuthis
Temporal range: Toarcian–Bajocian
Fossilised guards of Megateuthis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: †Belemnitida
Family: †Megateuthididae
Genus: †Megateuthis
Bayle, 1878
Type species
†Belemnites giganteus
(von Schlotheim, 1820) by subsequent designation (Douvillé, 1879, p. 91)
Species[1]
  • †M. suevica Klein, 1773
  • †M. elliptica Miller, 1826

Megateuthis is the largest known belemnite genus which lived during the Early to Middle Jurassic, between the Toarcian and Bajocian age. The type species M. suevica, whose junior synonym is M. gigantea, measured around 2.17 metres (7.1 ft) long, and the largest species M. elliptica possibly reached up to 3.11 metres (10.2 ft) long.[2]

  1. ^ Weis, R.; Mariotti, N. (2007). "A belemnite fauna from the Aalenian-Bajocian boundary beds of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (NE Paris Basin)". Bollettino della Società Paleontologica Italiana. 46 (2–3): 166.
  2. ^ Klug, C.; Schweigert, G.; Hoffmann, R.; Fuchs, D.; Pohle, A.; Weis, R.; De Baets, K. (2024). "Anatomy and size of Megateuthis, the largest belemnite". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 143 (1). 23. doi:10.1186/s13358-024-00320-x. PMC 11139743.