Scientists have identified a previously unknown species of belemnite from fossils found in Wyoming, according to Sci.News. The outlet reported the find on Monday, describing the ancient creature as peculiar. Belemnites were marine animals that lived in the age of the dinosaurs.
The discovery adds a new entry to the belemnite family, an extinct group of squid-like cephalopods. Sci.News did not say who led the research or where the findings were published.
Belemnites are known to science mainly through their hard internal shells, called guards, which preserve well in rock. These fossils are common in Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits around the world. A new species from Wyoming would extend the known range of the group in North America.
The report gave no details on the size, age or anatomy of the specimen, and no information on how it differs from other belemnites. Sci.News also did not say where in Wyoming the fossil was unearthed.
What to watch next: whether the research team publishes a full description of the specimen, including its geological age and the features that set it apart from other belemnites.
