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Lituites, genus of extinct cephalopods (primitive animals related to the modern pearly nautilus) found as fossils in marine rocks of the Ordovician Period (the Ordovician Period lasted from about 488 million to 444 million years ago). The distinctive shell of Lituites is composed of serially arranged chambers. The shell begins with a tightly coiled portion that gradually straightens out after a few whorls; the anterior portion of the shell, the largest part, is straight in...