Parapuzosia seppenradensis

Parapuzosia seppenradensis
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Subclass: †Ammonoidea
Family: †Desmoceratidae
Genus: †Parapuzosia
Species: †P. seppenradensis
Binomial name
Parapuzosia seppenradensis
(Landois, 1895)
Synonyms
  • Pachydiscus seppenradensis
    Landois, 1895

Parapuzosia seppenradensis is the largest known species of ammonite.[1] It lived during the Late Cretaceous period. A specimen found in Germany in 1895 measures 1.8 m (5.9 ft) in diameter, although the living chamber is incomplete. It is estimated that if complete, this specimen would have had a diameter of approximately 2.55 m (8.4 ft)[2] or even 3.5 m (11 ft).[3] The total live mass has been estimated at 1,455 kg (3,208 lb), of which the shell would constitute 705 kg (1,554 lb).[3]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parapuzosia.

References

  1. ↑ Payne, J.L., A.G. Boyer, J.H. Brown, S. Finnegan, M. Kowalewski, R.A. Krause, Jr., S.K. Lyons, C.R. McClain, D.W. McShea, P.M. Novack-Gottshall, F.A. Smith, J.A. Stempien & S.C. Wang 2009. Two-phase increase in the maximum size of life over 3.5 billion years reflects biological innovation and environmental opportunity. PNAS 106(1): 24–27. doi:10.1073/pnas.0806314106
  2. ↑ (German) Landois, H. 1895. Die Riesenammoniten von Seppenrade, Pachydiscus Zittel Seppenradensis H. Landois. Jahresbericht des Westfälischen Provinzial-Vereins für Wissenschaft und Kunst 23: 99–108.
  3. 1 2 Teichert, C. & B. Kummel 1960. Size of endoceroid cephalopods. Breviora Museum of Comparative Zoology 128: 1–7.
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