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Prototeuthidinagroup is extinct

Plesioteuthididae Naef, 1921group is extinct

Dirk Fuchs
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Containing group: Octopodiformes

Introduction

The Prototeuthidina is a well-known group of gladius-bearing coleoids that probably appeared at the end of the Triassic period and disappeared during the latest Cretaceous. Its gladius and hence its mantle is very slender when compared with the other two subgroups. The prototeuthidid gladius is furthermore characterized by a ventrally close (funnel-like) conus.

Figure: Plesioteuthis prisca, Tithonian (late Jurassic), Solnhofen area (Germany). A) specimen in dorsal view preserved with gladius, mantle and fins, B) reconstruction of the gladius, C) imprints of an arm crown consisting of 8 arms, D) star-like arm imprints produced when the dead animal landed on the sea floor in an oral-end-down position. © Dirk Fuchs

Particularly late Jurassic Plesioteuthis prisca is in the focus of debates as its gladius superficially resembles an ommastrephid gladius. Since Plesioteuthis prisca and other prototeuthidids such as late Jurassic Senefelderiteuthis tricarinata or late Cretaceous Dorateuthis syriaca never show more than eight arms, Fuchs (2006a, b) and Fuchs et al. (2007b) regarded the Prototeuthidina as an extinct side branch of early Octopodiformes.

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Figure: Head and arm crown of Dorateuthis syriaca from the Cenomanian (late Cretaceous) of Hakel (Lebanon). © Dirk Fuchs

Characteristics

1. Gladius

Classification

Classification of Prototeuthidina Naef, 1921

(* only one specimen known; ** 2-5 specimens; *** 5-10 specimens; **** > 10 specimens)

Problematic or poorly known prototeuthidids

Other Names for Plesioteuthididae Naef, 1921

References

Fuchs, D. 2006a. Fossil erhaltungsfähige Merkmalskomplexe der Coleoidea (Cephalopoda) und ihre phylogenetische Bedeutung. Berliner Paläobiologische Abhandlungen 8: 1-115.

Fuchs, D. 2006b. Diversity, Taxonomy and Morphology of vampyropod Coleoids (Cephalopoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Lebanon. Memorie della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali et del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano 34(II): 1-28.

Fuchs, D., Klinghammer, A., & Keupp, H. 2007b. Taxonomy, morphology and phylogeny of plesioteuthidid coleoids from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) Plattenkalks of Solnhofen. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 245(2): 239-252.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Dorateuthis syrica
Specimen Condition Fossil -- Period: Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous), Hadjoula (Lebanon)
Identified By D. Fuchs
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright © Dirk Fuchs
About This Page

Dirk Fuchs
Hokkaido University

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Dirk Fuchs at

Page: Tree of Life Prototeuthidina. Plesioteuthididae Naef, 1921. Authored by Dirk Fuchs. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Fuchs, Dirk. 2010. Prototeuthidina. Plesioteuthididae Naef, 1921. Version 03 May 2010 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Plesioteuthididae/140239/2010.05.03 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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