Ancient “chunkiest” squid relative discovered in Wyoming
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Paleontologists in Wyoming, USA, identified a new genus and species of extinct squid relative, Wyoteuthis linsterorum, from fossils unearthed in the state’s rocks.
The animal lived approximately 160 million years ago in a shallow sea covering the western United States. Researchers determined Wyoteuthis possessed an unusually wide internal skeleton, around 6 centimeters across, compared to the 1 to 2 centimeters typical of other local belemnites.
The team used CT scans to examine the fossils without damaging them, revealing that Wyoteuthis belonged to the Megateuthididae family, a group previously thought to have disappeared millions of years before. Burkhard Pohl initially discovered the first specimen in the late 1990s, but it remained undescribed until Cliff Linster found a second fossil in 2019. Scientists estimate the complete animal, including its arms, reached about 60 centimeters long.
They propose its size may have helped it hunt other, smaller cephalopods, though they lack direct fossil evidence to prove this. The discovery demonstrates that even well-studied fossil sites can still yield surprises and challenge existing understandings of prehistoric life.
