Daily Dino Fact: Couch potatoes of the Paleozoic
Cameroceras in all its glory. Still, the diorama doesn't do justice to how big this thing was
Q: What is a cameroceras? -ShadowFlyer
A: Ahhh, I hadn’t heard of this guy until you brought it up to me. WOW, what an awesome awesome creature. Cameroceras lived during the Ordovician time period (the one ModosaurOrdo is named after) which was in the Paleozoic era. The Paleozoic era was the one that occurred before the time of the dinosaurs, the Mesozoic.
Anyway, this ancient cephalopod grew to be over 30 ft (9 m) long!!! That is about the size of a school bus. We still have cephalopods in the ocean today but they are nowhere near as big. In fact, this guy was one of the largest sea creatures in the Paleozoic, if not the largest.
Scientists believe Cameroceras lived in deep waters and fed on passing animals like trilobites. Like it’s living relative Nautilus, it is believed to be mostly blind. Essentially just eating everything that comes along its path. It was an apex predator, meaning that it really had no predators of its own. Does this mean Cameroceras was the ultimate Paleozoic couch potato? Just hanging out and eating whatever is in front it?
-Rex
Tags: cameroceras, Daily Dino Fact, Dinosaurs, webosaurs
February 23rd, 2010 at 2:38 pm
This was the first time I heard of it too.
February 23rd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
those trilobites r cool that might be a good pet (the trilobites r the flat brown things with ridges)
February 23rd, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Where were the first dinosaur trackways found?
February 23rd, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Hey Rex its me Tinchorexxi can you add my new site to the blogroll??? please, here is the link:
http://webotricks.wordpress.com
Plz add it to the blogroll
Thanks
~Tinch
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:02 pm
what took you so long to answer the question? research?
February 24th, 2010 at 9:59 am
what was the most gross dino
-lewisrae
February 25th, 2010 at 8:11 am
How long was the Brontosaurs?
February 25th, 2010 at 10:09 am
its amazing how i knew of a ancient cephalopod before a fully grown mod. and im only a kid!
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:41 pm
that is looks like a squid a mod would know that but i,m only a kid!