Mercaticeras

Mercaticeras
Temporal range: Jurassic
Fossil of Mercaticeras species, from Luserna, Trento
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Subclass: †Ammonoidea
Order: †Ammonitida
Family: †Hildoceratidae
Subfamily: †Hildoceratinae
Genus: †Mercaticeras
Buckman, 1913[1]

Mercaticeras is an extinct genus of ammonites belonging to the family Hildoceratidae.

Etymology

The genus name Mercaticeras derives from Michele Mercati (a Tuscan physician who lived in the 16th century, superintendent of the Vatican Botanical Gardens) and ceras = horn, therefore the genus name means horn of Mercati.[1]

Description

Mercaticeras shows a subquadratic section, sometimes wider than high. The shell is averagely evolute, with a spiral that grows more rapidly in the internal whirls. It is adorned by sturdy, clavate, simple ribs. The suture is simple.[1]

Fossil record

These ammonites lived in the Jurassic, Middle Toarcian age, Bifrons Zone to lower Variabilis/Gradatus Zone (age range: 182.0 to 175.6 million years ago).[2]

Fossils of this genus can be found in Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Herzegovina, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey.[3][4]

Species

Mercaticeras species in the Middle Toarcian of the Gerecse Mts, Hungary. Collection Eötvös University, Budapest, Dep. Palaeontology

Species within this genus include:[3]

  • † Mercaticeras mercati (Hauer, 1856). Type species.
  • † Mercaticeras dilatum (Meneghini, 1883)
  • † Mercaticeras hellenicum (Renz, 1906)
  • † Mercaticeras humeralis (Merla, 1933)
  • † Mercaticeras rursicostatum (Merla, 1932)
  • † Mercaticeras thyrrenicum (Fucini, 1905)
  • † Mercaticeras umbilicatum (Buckman, 1913)

Classification

The suprageneric classification has been discussed in the literature. Researchers of the Toarcian Mediterranean domain agree that Mercaticeras belongs to the subfamily Mercaticeratinae Guex, 1974 (Hildoceratidae) with genera Praemercaticeras Venturi, 1981, Pseudomercaticeras Merla, 1932, Merlaites Gabilly, 1974, Crassiceras Merla, 1932, and Pseudocrassiceras Rulleau et Jattiot, 2019.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Ambiente e Biodiversità (in Italian)
  2. ^ Sepkoski, Jack Sepkoski's Online Genus Database
  3. ^ a b Paleobiology Database
  4. ^ Kovács, Zoltán (2015). "Notes on the Lower Jurassic Mercaticeratinae (Ammonitina) fauna from the Gerecse Mts (Hungary)". Hantkeniana. 10: 29–40.
  5. ^ Rulleau, L., Jattiot, R. (2019). "Révision de la sous-famille Mercaticeratinae Guex, 1973 (Ammonitina, Hildoceratidae) du Toarcien moyen de la province nord-ouest européenne". Revue de Paléobiologie. 38/1: 19–38.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Venturi, F., Rea, G., Silvestrini, G., Bilotta, M.: Ammonites. A geological journey around the Apennine Mountains. Porzi, Perugia (2010)
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