Ceratites

fossil cephalopod genus
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/animal/Ceratites
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Related Topics:
ammonoid

Ceratites, extinct genus of cephalopods (whose modern members include the octopus, the squid, and the nautilus) that serves as an index fossil for marine rocks and time of the Middle Triassic Period (245.9 million to 228.7 million years ago). The shell consisted of a series of chambers arranged in a spiral pattern, each succeeding chamber becoming larger. The chambers are united along complexly convoluted surfaces (sutures) that have a distinctive pattern of lobes, or arches, and troughs.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.