An earliest Hettangian (Jurassic) belemnitid from Great Britain with a preserved proostracum

Abstract

A new specimen of an earliest Hettangian (Jurassic) belemnite (Coeloidea, Cephalopoda) is described herein. It displays the complete, typically belemnitid proostracum, the ink sac with its duct, questionable remains of the nuchal cartilage, and half of the phragmocone. Since the apical part of the phragmocone is missing, it is unclear what kind of rostrum was present and a taxonomic assignment is thus impossible. This represents the earliest record of an undoubted belemnitid proostracum of clear stratigraphic affi nity.