Mongoceras

Mongoceras Temporal range: Silurian
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Subclass:	Orthoceratoidea
Order:	Orthocerida Sepkoski (2002)
Genus:	Mongoceras Foerste (1925)

Mongoceras is an extinct genus of actively mobile carnivorous cephalapod, essentially a Nautiloid, that lived in what would be Asia during the Silurian from 443.7—428.2 mya, existing for approximately 15.5 million years.^[1]

Taxonomy

Mongoceras was assigned to Orthocerida by Sepkoski (2002).^[2]

Morphology

The shell is usually long, and may be straight ("orthoconic") or gently curved. In life, these animals may have been similar to the modern squid, except for the long shell.

Fossil distribution

Fossil distribution is exclusive to Sardinia, Wisconsin USA, and northern Ontario, Canada.

References

1. ^ PaleoBiology Database: Mongoceras, basic info
2. ^ J. J. Sepkoski. 2002. A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology 363:1-560

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