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207 / Paleozoic
Endoceras
Endoceras giganteum
A straight conical shell several meters long made it one of the most conspicuous large cephalopods of Ordovician seas.
- Time range
- About 470–460 million years ago
- Final stage
- Middle Ordovician
- Geographic range
- Shallow seas of Laurentia and Baltica
01 / DEFINITION & ECOLOGY
What was Endoceras?
Endoceras (Endoceras giganteum) was an extinct organism known from About 470–460 million years ago, with a range in Shallow seas of Laurentia and Baltica.
Life and ecology
Gas-filled chambers controlled buoyancy while the head extended from the shell opening. It probably cruised horizontally or obliquely after fish and invertebrates.
02 / DISAPPEARANCE
Why did Endoceras disappear?
Ordovician cephalopod lineages turned over rapidly, and giant straight-shelled forms became less common in later oceans.
03 / EVIDENCE
How do scientists know about Endoceras?
Numerous shells preserve chambers, septa and a large ventral siphuncle; arms and other soft parts remain inferential.
04 / SOURCES & FURTHER READING
Check the source record
Use the scientific name to compare taxonomy, occurrence records and the fossil record. Database coverage and classifications may differ.
05 / REVISION HISTORY
How has this record changed?
- Verified authoritative entity sources and added three responsive reconstruction sizes.
- Initial bilingual species record published.
06 / CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS