Williamsoceras

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Williamsoceras
Temporal range: lower M Ordovician
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Williamsoceras

Flower, 1968

Williamsoceras is an endocerid that Rousseau Flower (1968) added to his Allotrioceratidae (Flower 1955) on the basis of having a vertical partition within the siphuncle, known as a ventral process, with inter-connecting tubule-like structures along its margin where intercepted by endocones. Three species are named and described (Flower 1968) from the Garden City limestone of Whiterockian age near Logan and northern Utah, including the genotype Williamsoceras adnatum. Two other species come from the Juab limestone (Flower 1976) of near equivalent age in the southern Confusion Range in the Ibex area in western Utah.

Contents

Description

Of the five described species the siphuncle wall and phragmocone are known only from the genotype Williamsoceras adnatum. The other four are known only from pieces of siphuncle which show only internal configurations, but closely resemble that of the genotype.

Williamsoceras is characterized by a ventral process within the siphuncle that extends vertically from the bottom side, essentially bisecting the interior. The process is straight sided and narrow in the more forward part of the siphuncle, approaching the body chamber, and swells to a bulbous or teardrop shape in cross section closer to the apex of the siphuncle where it becomes draped by endocones. As the ventral process and endocones approach a crescent shape space is formed, known as the endosiphocone, the upper side being convex, the lower side concave.

The septal necks, described only from the genotype, are macrochoanitic, extending 1.5 segments back from their origin. and is slightly sinuous in profile (Flower 1968, 1976)

Comparisons

Williamsoceras is similar to Cacheoceras which comes from the same areas and formations, except that Cacheoceras has additional smaller processes, either one on the dorsal side opposite the main process or a pair that are positioned dorsolaterally. It differs from Emmonsoceras (Flower 1955, 1976; Techert 1964) and from Perkinsoceras (Flower 1976) in that the ventral process in these is broad and in broad contact with the lower side of the siphuncle.

Williamsoceras differs from Allotrioceras from the Chazian of Champlain Valley (Flower 1955) in the manner in which the central processes are formed and that the features in Willimasoceras are bilaterally symmetrical while those in Allotrioceras are definitely asymmetric.

Origin and classification

Williamsoceras may have its origin in the Manchuroceratidae from the upper Canadian of northern China and Korea (Flower 1955, 1968, Teichert 1964) derived from the Proterocameroceratidae, by a lengthening of the septal necks.

Williamsoceras is included in the suborder Proterocameroceratina and is closely related to the Emmonsoceratidae

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Meniscoceras is a straight and slender Chazyan endocerid described by Rousseau Flower in 1941 The genus was originally included in the Proterocameroceratidae but later placed with its predecessor, Najaceras, in the Najaceratidae.

Clitendoceras is a genus of cephalopods in the order Endocerida from the Lower Ordovician with an elongate shell with a slight downward, endogastric, curvature and a siphuncle that lies along the ventral margin. Common for endocerids, the chambers are short and the septa close spaced with sutures sloping forward across the back of the shell. Septal necks are short in the young, lengthening in the adult. Endocones are simple, but with the ventral side of the last formed projecting forward. The endosiphotube running down the middle is arched on top and somewhat flat on the lower side.

Baltoceras is a member of the Ellesmerocerida, included in the family, Baltoceratidae. The shell of Baltoceras is slender with a subcircular cross section, straight transverse sutures, and a large siphuncle in contact with the venter. Septal necks are short but not vestigial; connecting rings are thick; endosiphonal organic deposits are unknown.

Bathmoceras is a primitive cephalopod genus from the Middle and Upper Ordovician. It is a member of the order Cyrtocerinida and is the only genus in the family Bathmoceratidae.

Clarkoceras is a genus of breviconic ellesmerocerid cephalopods, one of only two genera known to have crossed from the Late Cambrian, Trempealeauan, into the Early Ordovician, Gasconadian. ; the other being Ectenolites.

Cyrtonybyoceras is a genus of slightly exogastric members of the Wutinoceratidae, a family of actinocerids and probably derived from an earlier Wutinoceras. The shell of Cyrtonybyoceras is curved slightly upwardly and is slightly compressed. Sutures slope toward the aperture, from the dorsum to the venter. The siphuncle is ventral but not marginal, in general form like that of Nybyoceras. Upper and lower septal necks are recumbent or narrowly free. The canal system is reticular, characteristic of the Wutinoceratidae.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenoceratidae</span> Extinct family of molluscs

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troedssonellidae</span>

Troedssonellidae is a family of orthoceroid cephalopods from the Ordovician, derived from rod-bearing Baltoceratidae, that have a continuous lining within the siphuncle that resembles very thin and slender endocones. Shells are generally slender and orthoconic. The siphuncle is central or subcentral, composed of straight or slightly expanded segments. Septal necks generally short and connecting rings are thin. Thin cameral deposits are known, which along with the position of the siphuncle and thin connecting rings distinguishes them from the endocerids in which they have been included.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endoceratidae</span> Extinct family of molluscs

Endoceratidae is a family of large to very large straight shelled nautiloid cephalopods belonging to the order Endocerida that lived during the Middle and Late Ordovician. They include the largest known Paleozoic invertebrates, represented by Endoceras and Cameroceras.

Chazyoceras is a moderately large endocerid included in the Endoceratidae with a Nanno type apex and a ventral siphuncle with a holochoanitic wall, characteristic of the family. The siphuncle swelling at the apex is subtriangular in longitudinal profile. The endocones are of medium length.

Perkinsocerasis an endocerid genus from the Middle Ordovician (Chazyan) of Champlain Valley established by Flower in 1976, which he added to his Allotrioceratidae based on certain similarities to Williamsoceras and Cacheoceras which had been added previously.

Shangtungendoceras is a conical plectronoceratoid cephalopod from the Upper Cambrian of north-eastern China, described by Sun (1937) as a primitive endoceroid. Because of its apparently poor preservation its ordinal and familial position is uncertain. It could be included in either the Plectronocerida, family Plectronoceratidae, or the Ellesmerocerida, family Ellesmeroceratidae. On the other hand, Teichert (1964) included Shungtangendoceras in the Ellesmoerocatidae.

Bajkaloceras is a straight-shelled orthoceroid, and possibly a member of the Intejocerida, from the Angara River basin in central Russia, named by Balashov in 1962. Its age, as given in the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology is Arenigian.

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The Allotrioceratidae is a family of Middle Ordovician fossils, established by Rousseau Flower, 1955, originally including Allotrioceras and Mirabilocras, assigned inferentially to the Endocerida and known only from structures interpreted as siphuncles. Later Williamsoceras, Cacheoceras, and Perkinsoceras were added.

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