Two Rare Fossils Reveal a Surprisingly Chunky Jurassic Squid Relative
belemnite（BEL-em-nite）
An extinct sea animal related to modern squid and octopuses.
guard（guard）
The hard part of a belemnite that often becomes a fossil.
CT scan（C-T scan）
A way to see inside a fossil without breaking it.
What happened
Researchers have identified a new Jurassic squid relative from two fossils found in Wyoming, United States. The animal lived about 160 million years ago. They named it Wyoteuthis linsterorum. It was a belemnite, an extinct sea animal related to modern squid and octopuses.
The fossilized part was unusually thick. Belemnite remains are often bullet-shaped. This one was barrel-shaped instead. Its preserved guard measured about 10 centimeters long and up to 6 centimeters wide. That makes it the thickest known belemnite. The whole animal may have reached about 60 centimeters, including its arms.
The long road to identification
Wyoming’s Sundance Formation records an ancient inland sea that once covered the western United States. Millions of belemnite remains have been found there. Most Wyoming examples are about 5 to 10 centimeters long and only 1 to 2 centimeters wide.
The first unusual specimen was found in the late 1990s by Burkhard Pohl, founder of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. It then remained unstudied in the museum’s collection for years. Fossil collector Cliff Linster found a second specimen near Ten Sleep. He donated it to the center in 2019. Comparing both fossils gave researchers enough evidence to describe a new species.
Why the shape matters
Belemnites are common fossils, and their group has been studied for more than 200 years. Yet this animal differed sharply from known forms. CT scans let researchers inspect the fossils without damaging them. Internal features placed the animal in an old belemnite family that scientists had thought disappeared millions of years earlier.
That finding matters beyond one unusual fossil. It shows that even well-studied fossil groups can contain overlooked forms. It also shows why old museum collections can become important when new specimens provide a comparison.
What researchers confirmed
The genus name Wyoteuthis means a squid from Wyoming. The species name linsterorum honors Cliff Linster and his family. Both known specimens are now displayed at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis.
What remains unknown
Only two fossil guards are known. They do not show the animal’s complete body. Scientists therefore cannot yet determine its exact appearance, diet, habitat, or reason for being so rare.
Researchers suggest that its large size may have helped it hunt smaller belemnites. Another possibility is narrow specialization in its ancient environment. Both ideas remain hypotheses. The fossils do not directly reveal what the animal ate.
What to watch next
More fossils could show whether this broad shape was a rare accident or a useful adaptation. Reexamining museum specimens might also reveal related examples. The next step is not simply finding a bigger fossil. It is testing how this animal fitted into the Jurassic sea.
Sources: Phys.org research report and peer-reviewed paper
A Very Wide Fossil from the Jurassic Sea
📰 Full story: Two Rare Fossils Reveal a Surprisingly Chunky Jurassic Squid Relative
Two fossils helped scientists identify a new squid relative from Wyoming.
Wyoteuthis linsterorum（why-oh-TOO-thiss lin-ster-OR-um）
The scientific name given to this new animal.
belemnite（BEL-em-nite）
An extinct sea animal related to squid and octopuses.
CT scan（C-T scan）
A way to see inside a fossil without breaking it.
💡 The gist
- A new Jurassic belemnite was found in Wyoming.
- Its fossil was much wider than usual.
- Two fossils helped scientists name the species.
Wyoteuthis linsterorum is the scientific name for the new animal. It was a belemnite, an extinct relative of squid and octopuses. It lived about 160 million years ago.
Most Wyoming belemnites were narrow. They were usually 5 to 10 centimeters long. They were only 1 to 2 centimeters wide. The new fossil was about 10 centimeters long. It was up to 6 centimeters wide. That made it the thickest known belemnite.
The first fossil appeared in the late 1990s. It stayed in a museum collection for years. A second fossil was found near Ten Sleep. It was donated in 2019. Scientists needed both fossils for a careful comparison.
A CT scan showed the inside without breaking the fossils. The inner features connected the animal to an old belemnite family. Scientists once thought that family had disappeared millions of years earlier.
Researchers have an idea about the animal’s unusual width. A larger body may have helped it hunt smaller belemnites. However, this idea is not proven. The fossils do not show its exact diet.
Scientists also do not know its complete appearance. They cannot yet explain why the species was so rare. More fossils could answer those questions. Old museum specimens could help, too.
The discovery teaches an important lesson. Even familiar fossil groups can still hide surprises.
Source: Phys.org report
A Very Chunky Sea Animal
📰 Full story: Two Rare Fossils Reveal a Surprisingly Chunky Jurassic Squid Relative
A very old sea animal left two unusual fossils.
Wyoteuthis linsterorum（why-oh-TOO-thiss lin-ster-OR-um）
The science name for this old animal.
belemnite（BEL-em-nite）
An old sea animal related to squids and octopuses.
fossil（FOSS-ul）
An old body part that turned into stone.
Long ago, a sea animal lived near Wyoming.
It lived about 160 million years ago.
Its name is Wyoteuthis linsterorum.
That is its science name.
It was a belemnite.
Belemnites were related to squids and octopuses.
One hard body part became a fossil.
A fossil is an old body part turned stone.
This fossil was about 10 centimeters long.
It was up to 6 centimeters wide.
That shape was unusual.
People found two fossils.
Scientists compared them.
They recognized a new species.
They looked inside without breaking them.
The animal may have hunted smaller belemnites.
Scientists do not know its food yet.