''Lewesiceras'' is a genus of large

ammonites Ammonoids are extinct, (typically) coiled-shelled cephalopods comprising the subclass Ammonoidea. They are more closely related to living octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish (which comprise the clade Coleoidea) than they are to nautiluses (family N ...

belonging to the order

Ammonitida Ammonitida, or true ammonites, are an order of Ammonoidea, ammonoid cephalopods that lived from the Jurassic through Paleocene time periods, commonly with intricate ammonitic sutures. Ammonitida is divided into four suborders, the Phylloceratina ...

and the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Pachydiscidae Pachydiscidae is a family of middle and upper Cretaceous ammonites in the superfamily Desmoceratoidea. Morphology Pachydiscidae species are moderate to large in size, evolute to rather involute, and vary in section from inflated and depressed t ...

. They lived in the late

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

period, in the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

and

Turonian The Turonian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS' geologic timescale, the second age (geology), age in the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch, or a stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Upper Cretaceous series (stratigraphy), ...

ages, which occurred 99.6-89.3 million years ago. These shelled

ammonoid Ammonoids are extinct, (typically) coiled-shelled cephalopods comprising the subclass Ammonoidea. They are more closely related to living octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish (which comprise the clade Coleoidea) than they are to nautiluses (family N ...

s were

nektonic Nekton or necton (from the ) is any aquatic organism that can actively and persistently propel itself through a water column (i.e. swimming) without touching the bottom. Nektons generally have powerful tails and appendages (e.g. fins, pleopods ...

, fast-moving and carnivorous.

Fossils distribution

Cretaceous of

Armenia Armenia, officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of West Asia. It is a part of the Caucasus region and is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia (country), Georgia to the north and Azerbaijan to ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

(

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

Species

* ''Lewesiceras mantelli'' Wright and Wright, 1951 * ''Lewesiceras peramplum'' ( Mantell, 1822) * ''Lewesiceras wiedmanni'' Wright & Kennedy, 1984

Gallery

File:Lewesiceras peramplum.jpg, ''Lewesiceras peramplum'', a pachydiscid ammonite from Upper Turonian of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

File:Gasteropods - Ammonites - Lewesiceras cornicostatus.JPG, ''Lewesiceras cornicostatus'', from

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, at the

National Museum (Prague) The National Museum (NM) (Czech language, Czech: ''Národní muzeum'') is a public museum dedicated to natural scientific and historical collections of the Czech Republic, its History of the Czech lands, history, Culture of the Czech Republic, cul ...

File:Amonit Lewesiceras.jpg, ''Lewesiceras sharpei'', from

, at the

References

BiolibThe Paleobiology Database
*Sepkoski, Jac
Sepkoski's Online Genus Database – Cephalopods
Cretaceous ammonites Fossils of France Desmoceratoidea Ammonitida genera {{Ammonitina-stub