Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Times of India
The Times of India
World
TOI World Desk

Meet Cliff Linster, whose Jurassic “squid” sat 30 years before being named a new species

For nearly 30 years, an unusually chunky Jurassic fossil lay waiting to reveal what it was. Fossil collector Cliff Linster discovered one of only two known specimens in Wyoming, and his find was donated to the Wyoming Dinosaur Centre in 2019. Scientists have now identified it as Wyoteuthis linsterorum, a previously unknown species of belemnite dating to around 160 million years. Unlike the familiar bullet-shaped fossils commonly found in Wyoming, this ancient squid relative had a remarkably broad, barrel-shaped rostrum, earning it the description of the “chunkiest” belemnite ever found. The discovery also revealed a rare surviving branch of an ancient lineage.

Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.