BELEMNOID


Meaning of BELEMNOID in English

adj.

or belemnite

Member of an extinct group of cephalopod s, possessing a large internal shell, that first appeared 0441; 345 million years ago, in the Early Carboniferous Period , and became extinct during the Eocene Epoch , which ended 0441; 36.

6 million years ago. The internal shell of most species is straight, but that of some species is loosely coiled. The shell served for support and muscle attachment and enabled the animal to compensate for depth and its own body weight. See also ammonoid .

Reconstruction of squidlike belemnoid cephalopods from the Cretaceous System, southern Tennessee

By courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History, New York

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.