Turrilitidae

Taxobox
name = Turrilitidae
fossil_range = fossil range|99.6|65.8Late Cretaceous


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image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Cephalopoda
subclassis = Ammonoidea
ordo = Ammonitida
subordo = Ancyloceratina
subordo_authority = Wiedmann, 1966
superfamilia = Turrilitaceae
familia = Turrilitidae
familia_authority = Meek, 1876
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision =
* "Didymoceras"
* "Mariella"
* "Notostreptites"
* "Ostlingoceras"
* "Pseudhelicoceras"
* "Tridenticeras"
* "Turrilites" (type genus)

Turrilitidae ("Tower Stones") is a family of extinct heteromorph ammonite cephalopods. All members had shells that coiled helically that tended to resemble auger shells, hence the name "Tower Stones." The ecological roles turrilitids played is largely unknown, as experts are still speculating what niches they filled. Some, such as "Didymoceras", are suspected of floating in the water column, while others, such as "Turrilites", are believed to have been bottom-dwellers.

Although they were diverse, with a worldwide distribution, the turrilitids, along with all other ammonites, did not survive the Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction event.

References

* [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=95378&is_real_user=1 The Paleobiology Database] Accessed on 9/24/07