Stephanoceras
| Stephanoceras Temporal range: 168.3–170.3Ma Jurassic: Bajocian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stephanoceras blagdeni from Mid Jurassic - Germany | |
| Conservation status | |
| Fossil | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Subclass: | Ammonoidea |
| Order: | Ammonitida |
| Suborder: | Ammonitina |
| Superfamily: | Stephanocerataceae |
| Family: | Stephanoceratidae |
| Genus: | Stephanoceras Waagen, 1869 |
| Species | |
|
?S. boulderense | |
Stephanoceras (meaning crown horn) is a Stephanoceratacean (ammonite) genus and type for the Stephanoceratidae, which lived during the Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) but is now extinct.
Description
Stephanoceras has a evolute shell, as characteristic of the family, with well-developed ribbing and tubercles. The shell is coiled so whorls barely touch in most, but some have notable overlap. Primary ribs emerge from the umbilical seam, the line marking the inner edge of the particular exposed whorl, and divide on the flanks, usually in two, occasionally in three, forming secondary ribs that cross the outer rim of the shell, known as the venter, uninterrupted. Turbercles, elevated projections, form at the ends of the primary ribs where they bifurcate or sometimes trifurcate.
Stephanoceras grew to be fairly large with a shell diameter as much as 27cm and width as much as 6cm across the outer whorl. Like many if not all ammonites, Stephanoceras is dimorphic with a large, macroconch, form thought to be female and a small, microconch, form thought to be male. In most aspects the microconch is simply a smaller version of the macroconch. The primary difference lies in the aperture, which in the microconch has planar extensions on either side, lappets. That of the macroconch is generally simple, preceded by a constriction.
Distribution
Fossils of Stephanoceras are found in the Jurassic marine strata of Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Spain.
References
- Arkell, et al. 1957. Mesozoic Ammonoidea, Treatise on invertebrate Paleontology, Part L, Mollusca 4. Geol Soc of America and Univ of Kansas press, Lawrence.
- Galacz, A. 1991. Bajocian Sephanoceratid Ammonites from the Bakony Mountains, Hungary. Palaeontology, Vol 34, Pt 4, 1991, pp 859-885.
- Sandoval, J. & Westermann, G. E. G. 1986. The Bajocian (Jurassic) ammonite fauna of Oaxaca, Mexico; Jour Paleo V.67, N.6, p.1220, Nov. 1986
- Paleobiology Database
- Sepkoski's Online Genus Database