A new family of coleoids from the Lower Jurassic of Osteno, Northern Italy

Abstract

The discovery of well preserved and almost complete fossil coleoid cephalopods near Osteno in northern Italy has allowed the original study of a single specimen by Pinna (1972) to be enhanced. The unusual structure of the ten arms, showing a clear differentiation in the shape of the arm hooks (long and thin on six arms and short and stocky on the other four), is a distinctive character which is not present in any Jurassic family of coleoids known to date. We distinguish two new genera: Ostenoteuthis, with the species O. siroi sp. nov., and Uncinoteuthis, with the species U. cuvieri sp. nov. The new family Ostenoteuthidae (Order uncertain) is erected for them. The systematic position of this family within the fossil coleoids is discussed.