Parapuzosia seppenradensis

Parapuzosia seppenradensis; Temporal range: Lower Campanian
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Subclass:	†Ammonoidea
Order:	†Ammonitida
Family:	†Desmoceratidae
Genus:	†Parapuzosia
Species:	†P. seppenradensis
Binomial name
	†Parapuzosia seppenradensis; (Landois, 1895)
Synonyms
	Pachydiscus seppenradensis; Landois, 1895;

Parapuzosia seppenradensis is the largest known species of ammonite.^[1] It lived during the Lower Campanian Epoch of the Late Cretaceous period, in marine environments in what is now Westphalia, Germany. A specimen, found in Seppenrade near Lüdinghausen, Germany in 1895 measures 1.8 m (5.9 ft) in diameter, although the living chamber is incomplete.

The original fossil is shown in the foyer of the Westphalian Museum of Natural History, Münster, Germany. It is estimated that if complete, this specimen would have had a diameter of approximately 2.55 m (8.4 ft)^[2] or even 3.5 m (11 ft).^[3] The total live mass has been estimated at 1,455 kg (3,208 lb), of which the shell would constitute 705 kg (1,554 lb).^[3]

References[]

^ Payne, J.L., A.G. Boyer, J.H. Brown, S. Finnegan, M. Kowalewski, R.A. Krause, Jr., S.K. Lyons, C.R. McClain, D.W. McShea, P.M. Novack-Gottshall, F.A. Smith, J.A. Stempien & S.C. Wang 2009. Two-phase increase in the maximum size of life over 3.5 billion years reflects biological innovation and environmental opportunity. PNAS 106(1): 24–27. doi:10.1073/pnas.0806314106
^ (in German) Landois, H. 1895. Die Riesenammoniten von Seppenrade, Pachydiscus Zittel Seppenradensis H. Landois. Jahresbericht des Westfälischen Provinzial-Vereins für Wissenschaft und Kunst 23: 99–108.
^ ^a ^b Teichert, C. & B. Kummel 1960. Size of endoceroid cephalopods. Breviora Museum of Comparative Zoology 128: 1–7.

(in German) Kennedy, W.J. & U. Kaplan 1995. Parapuzosia (Parapuzosia) seppenradensis (Landois) und die Ammonitenfauna der Dülmener Schichten, unteres Unter-Campan, Westfalen. Geologie und Paläontologie in Westfalen 33: 1–127.

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[1] Payne, J.L., A.G. Boyer, J.H. Brown, S. Finnegan, M. Kowalewski, R.A. Krause, Jr., S.K. Lyons, C.R. McClain, D.W. McShea, P.M. Novack-Gottshall, F.A. Smith, J.A. Stempien & S.C. Wang 2009. Two-phase increase in the maximum size of life over 3.5 billion years reflects biological innovation and environmental opportunity. PNAS 106(1): 24–27. doi:10.1073/pnas.0806314106

[2] (in German) Landois, H. 1895. Die Riesenammoniten von Seppenrade, Pachydiscus Zittel Seppenradensis H. Landois. Jahresbericht des Westfälischen Provinzial-Vereins für Wissenschaft und Kunst 23: 99–108.

[TK1960-3] Teichert, C. & B. Kummel 1960. Size of endoceroid cephalopods. Breviora Museum of Comparative Zoology 128: 1–7.

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Parapuzosia seppenradensis

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