Tarphycerids

Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
542
Here's a pretty 9 cm Lituites from the Ordovician of Sweden. I've just been reading here that this was one of the first fossil cephalopods to be recognised.

There's a tarphycerid from the Ordovician of the Welsh Borderland here.
 

Attachments

  • conv_304379.jpg
    conv_304379.jpg
    299.5 KB · Views: 102
Just found a brand new publication by Turek & Manda discussing colour patterns in the tarphycerid Peismoceras. It can be downloaded from here (Turek & Manda 2010).

They write "A marked asymmetry of colour pattern on lateral sides has been observed in several cases, but with no proven relationship to the slight dextral coiling of the shell."
 

Attachments

  • conv_297745.jpg
    conv_297745.jpg
    100.7 KB · Views: 118
I thought I could see colour bands on this little 5 cm example of the common Chinese Lituites. Polishing the reverse side though I now see that the bands correspond to the positions of septa.
 

Attachments

  • conv_297872.jpg
    conv_297872.jpg
    292.9 KB · Views: 138
  • conv_297873.jpg
    conv_297873.jpg
    157.9 KB · Views: 116
  • conv_297874.jpg
    conv_297874.jpg
    83.4 KB · Views: 100
Yes, in this case each of those red bands occurs at the edge of a septum. I don't think the red bands are actually at the surface of the shell (with its fine growth lines), but are visible through the calcite. Have you ever come across something like this?
 

Shop Amazon

Shop Amazon
Shop Amazon; support TONMO!
Shop Amazon
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Back
Top