Endorioceras
Encyclopedia
Endorioceras is an extinct genus
of actively mobile carnivorous cephalapod of the family
Baltoceratidae
that lived in what would be North America
during the Ordovician
from 490—479 mya, existing for approximately .
by Flower (1964); and to Ellesmerocerida
by Sepkoski (2002).
") or gently curved. In life, these animals may have been similar to the modern squid
, except for the long shell.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of actively mobile carnivorous cephalapod of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Baltoceratidae
Baltoceratidae
Baltoceratidae is an extinct family of orthoconic cephalopods belonging to the subclass Nautiloidea endemic to what would be Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America during the Ordovician living from about 480–460 mya, existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:Baltoceratidae was...
that lived in what would be North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
during the Ordovician
Ordovician
The Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
from 490—479 mya, existing for approximately .
Taxonomy
Endorioceras was named by Flower (1964). It is not extant. Its type is Endorioceras rarum. It was assigned to BaltoceratidaeBaltoceratidae
Baltoceratidae is an extinct family of orthoconic cephalopods belonging to the subclass Nautiloidea endemic to what would be Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America during the Ordovician living from about 480–460 mya, existing for approximately .-Taxonomy:Baltoceratidae was...
by Flower (1964); and to Ellesmerocerida
Ellesmerocerida
The Ellesmerocerida is a order of primitive cephalopods belonging to the subclass Nautiloidea with a widespread distribution that lived during the Late Cambrian and Ordovician.-Morphology:...
by Sepkoski (2002).
Morphology
The shell is usually long, and may be straight ("orthoconicOrthocone
An orthocone is a usually long straight shell of a nautiloid cephalopod. During the 18th and 19th centuries, all shells of this type were named Orthoceras, but it is now known that many groups of nautiloids developed or retained this type of shell....
") or gently curved. In life, these animals may have been similar to the modern squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, except for the long shell.