Hercoglossidae

Hercoglossidae Temporal range:
Cimonia sp. fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Subclass:	Nautiloidea
Order:	Nautilida
Superfamily:	Nautilaceae
Family:	Hercoglossidae Spath, 1927
Genera
Aturoidea Cimonia Deltoidonatilus Hercoglossa

Hercoglossidae was established by Spath in 1927 for smooth, involute nautiloids characterized by a suture with differentiated elements, known from the Upper Jurassic to the Oligocene. Hercoglossids make up part of the Nautilid superfamily Nautilaceae. (Kummel 1964)

Hercoglossa danica fossil

Four genera are described in the Treatise (Kummel 1964). They are Hercoglossa, Aturoidea, Cimonia, and Deltoidonatilus. All have a whorl section that is generally rounded, except for Deltoidonatilus where in it is triangular in outline. Sutural complexity increases from Cimonia to Hercoglossa and to Aturoidea. The suture in Deltoidonautilus is like than in Hercoglossa. (ibid)

Cimonea, which intergades with Eutrephoceras, is the earliest and makes its first appearance in the Upper Jurassic. Eutrephoceras is assigned to the Nautilidae which includes Nautilus. Hercoglassa, which is derived from Cimomia, first appears in the Lower Cretaceous and is followed stratigraphically by Aturoidea and Deltoidonautilus which first appear in the Upper Cretaceous. Aturoidea is the progenitor of Aturia (of the monotypic Aturidae), to which it gave rise in the Paleocene. (ibid)

References

• Kummel, B 1964. Nautilioidea - Nautilida, in the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part K Nautiloidea, Geological Society of America and University of Kansas press. (K455-K457)