''Neoptychites'' is an extinct
ammonoid
Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) ...
cephalopod
A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda (Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head ...
genus from the
Turonian
The Turonian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the second age in the Late Cretaceous Epoch, or a stage in the Upper Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 93.9 ± 0.8 Ma and 89.8 ± 1 Ma (million years ago). The Turonian is preceded by t ...
stage of the
Upper Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...
(around 94 to 89 Ma),
[ with a worldwide distribution.]
Description
Neoptychites includes extremely involute Ammonitida
Ammonitida is an order of ammonoid cephalopods that lived from the Jurassic through Paleocene time periods, commonly with intricate ammonitic sutures.
Ammonitida is divided into four suborders, the Phylloceratina, Lytoceratina, Ancyloceratina, a ...
whose outer whorls have a high triangular section with a moderately rounded venter (the outer rim). Tho body chamber in adults is generally smooth, with a constricted aperture. The earliest whorls are smooth except for periodic constrictions; later juvenile whorls have numerous low ribs without tubercles.
Taxonomy
''Neoptychites'' belongs to the ammonite family Vascoceratidae
The Vascoceratidae is a family of Upper Cretaceous ammonites in the superfamily Acanthoceratoidea characterized by shells that are either smooth or bluntly tuberculate, or have sparse, coarse ribs. Sutural elements are shallow, irregular, and sli ...
and is included in the subfamily Vasoceratinae. The genus was named by Kossmat in 1895. Its type species is ''Ammonites telinga'' Stoliczka, 1865 (= ''Ammonites cephalotus'' Courtiller, 1860). It is probably derived from '' Paravascoceras''.
Distribution
Fossils of ''Neoptychites'' have been found in Austria, Brazil, Cameroon, Colombia ( La Frontera (Huila, Cundinamarca, Boyacá) and Loma Gorda Formation
The Loma Gorda Formation ( es, Formación Loma Gorda, Kl, Kslg) is a fossiliferous geological formation of the Upper Magdalena Valley (VSM) and surrounding Central and Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, extending from Cundinamarca in the nort ...
s, Aipe
Aipe is a town and municipality in the Huila Department, Colombia. It is located on the west bank of the Magdalena River in the Central Ranges of the Colombian Andes at altitudes between . Aipe borders Natagaima, Ataco and Planadas of the depart ...
, Huila),[Patarroyo, 2016, p.41][Patarroyo, 2011, p.69] Egypt, France, India, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Romania, Tunisia, United States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas), and Venezuela.[''Neoptychites'']
at Fossilworks
Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database
The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...
.org
References
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q6993776
Cretaceous ammonites
Ammonites of Africa
Cretaceous Africa
Ammonites of Asia
Cretaceous Asia
Ammonites of Europe
Cretaceous Europe
Cretaceous France
Ammonites of North America
Cretaceous Mexico
Cretaceous United States
Ammonites of South America
Cretaceous Brazil
Cretaceous Colombia
Cretaceous Venezuela
Turonian life
Fossil taxa described in 1895