Chunky Jurassic Monster Rewrites Squid History

dinosaur silhouettes at sunset — Photo: jaroslava V / Shutterstock

Scientists formally identified a thick, barrel-bodied Jurassic belemnite from Wyoming that rewrites part of cephalopod history.

Story Highlights

Researchers named a new genus and species, Wyoteuthis linsterorum, from Wyoming’s Sundance Formation.
The fossils show an unusually broad, “chunky” internal shell unlike typical local belemnites.
The team links the animal to a family thought to have vanished earlier, extending that lineage’s record.
The study rests on two rare specimens from the Late Jurassic Oxfordian stage.

New Species With Unusual Build Described From Wyoming

Peer-reviewed research describes Wyoteuthis linsterorum as a new genus and species based on two large belemnite rostra from the upper Sundance Formation in Wyoming. The paper places the fossils in the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic and documents a distinctive, barrel-shaped build that separates them from slimmer local forms. The authors report the widest cross section at about 60 millimeters, making this the chunkiest belemnite yet recognized in the record.

The international team includes Alexey P. Ippolitov, Jessica L. Lippincott, William R. Wahl, and Dean R. Lomax, with institutional backing in the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The University of Manchester highlighted the work and its implications for cephalopod evolution. The study’s formal taxonomic treatment, name, and stratigraphic placement provide the core facts, while public summaries echo the unique size and shape that drew attention to the specimens.

Link To A “Relict” Lineage Extends Family’s History

Computed tomography imaging and comparative study connect Wyoteuthis linsterorum to Megateuthididae, a family long thought to have ended earlier in the Jurassic. By diagnosing a “relict megateuthidid,” the authors extend the timeline for that lineage and adjust how scientists read belemnite survival and spread. Popular coverage stressed that the fossils change the story about when this group last appeared in the record, sharpening the Late Jurassic picture.

Belemnites were extinct cephalopods related to today’s squid and octopuses, and their rostrum is the part that most often fossilizes. Specialists use rostrum shape, cross sections, grooves, and internal structures to separate species and families. That framework helps explain why the specimens’ unusual thickness and internal build are so important. These features offer concrete traits for diagnosis, beyond simple size or eye-catching nicknames used in headlines.

What The Fossils Show, And What Still Is Unknown

The two rostra reveal the internal skeleton’s broad, barrel form and distinct geometry, which set the animal apart from common, slender rostra in the same region. Media reports emphasized that the belemnite’s cross section reaches roughly 60 millimeters, underscoring its stocky design compared to typical streamlined guards. The study focuses on these preserved parts and refrains from bold claims about soft anatomy or behavior, which are not present in the fossils.

The chunkiest squid-like fossil ever found 🦑
Wyoteuthis linsterorum — a 160-million-year-old belemnite from Wyoming's ancient Sundance Sea — had a 6-cm-wide barrel-shaped skeleton, the fattest ever recorded.
A lineage thought long extinct, still thriving.https://t.co/PlXzIe1olO

— The Incredible Daily (@lincroyableli) October 23, 2026

The sample remains small, which limits precise estimates of variation or sex differences. Still, the formal description, geologic context, and imaging provide a strong baseline for future work. The paper anchors the find in the upper Sundance Formation and the Oxfordian age, setting a clear time and place for additional digs. Researchers and local collectors may now target the same layers to test range, growth stages, and whether more Wyoteuthis material is waiting in Wyoming’s Jurassic rocks.

Why This Discovery Matters For American Science

Wyoming’s fossils continue to deliver major insights from America’s public lands and private ranch country. This find shows how careful fieldwork and museum stewardship can correct the record on ancient life. The work also pushes back against hype by grounding claims in measurements, scans, and a named repository trail. For readers who care about facts, this is how good science should run: define the species, show the rock layer, and explain the limits without spin.