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Inoceramus
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Inoceramus, 35 in. × 34 in., found in the Kansas Niobrara Chalk, of Cretaceous age
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Inoceramus, 35 in. × 34 in., found in the Kansas Niobrara Chalk, of Cretaceous age
Inoceramus, 35 in. × 34 in., found in the Kansas Niobrara Chalk, of Cretaceous age

Inoceramus

fossil mollusk genus
Also known as: inoceramid
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History

Inoceramus, genus of extinct pelecypods (clams) found as fossils in Jurassic to Cretaceous rocks (laid down between 199.6 million and 65.5 million years ago). Especially important and widespread in Cretaceous rocks, Inoceramus had a distinctive shell; it is large, thick, and wrinkled in a concentric fashion, making identification relatively simple. The many pits at the dorsal region were the anchoring points for the ligaments that closed the shell.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.