Cladoceramus is an extinct genus of fossil marine pteriomorphian bivalves that superficially resembled the related winged pearly oysters of the extant genus Pteria. They lived in the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous.
Description Adult shells of Cladoceramus are small to very large size (more than in length). Many species with fine, discrete, juvenile ornamentation on umbo, consisting of closely and evenly to subevenly spaced raised concentric growth lines without rugae. Posterior auricle well-defined, triangular, separated from disc by auricular sulcus; a post-umbonal sulcus occurs in some species, as do very small anterior auricles ("ears").Lower Turonian Euramerican Inoceramidae: A morphologic, taxonomic, and biostratigraphic overview. A report from the first Workshop on Early Turonian Inoceramids (Oct. 5-8, 1992) in Hamburg, Germany; organized by Heinz Hilbrecht and Peter J. Harries
Biostratigraphic significance The first appearance of the species Cladoceramus undulatoplicatus marks the beginning of the Santonian stage.
Distribution Fossils of the genus have been found in:Cladoceramus at Fossilworks.org Matulla Formation, Egypt United States Forbes Shale, California Smoky Hill Shale, Niobrara Formation, Colorado and New Mexico Austin Chalk, Texas Mancos Shale, Wyoming
References