Decoritidae facts for kids

The Decoritidae were an ancient group of sea creatures. They are now extinct, meaning they no longer live on Earth. These animals were a type of ammonoid. Ammonoids were cephalopods, just like modern squids and cuttlefish.

Discovering the Decoritidae

The Decoritidae family is known only from fossils. Scientists Ruzhencev and Bogoslovskaya officially named this family in 1975. They studied the fossilized remains of these animals. Their work helped us understand more about life in ancient oceans.

What are Ammonoids?

Ammonoids were amazing marine animals. They lived in the oceans for millions of years. They are famous for their spiral-shaped shells. These shells were divided into many small chambers. The animal lived in the largest, outermost chamber. The other chambers were filled with gas and liquid. This helped the ammonoid float in the water.

Shells and Survival

The shells of ammonoids came in many shapes and sizes. Most were coiled like a ram's horn. Some were straight or partly coiled. The Decoritidae had shells typical of their group, the Goniatitida. These shells often had simple patterns on their inner walls. This is different from some later ammonoids.

Life in Ancient Oceans

Decoritidae lived during the Paleozoic Era. This was a very long time ago. The oceans were full of diverse life. Ammonoids like Decoritidae were common predators. They likely hunted small fish and other marine animals. They used their tentacles to catch prey.

Where They Lived

Fossils of Decoritidae and other Goniatitida are found worldwide. This shows they lived in many different ancient seas. They were an important part of the ocean's food web. Their presence helps scientists understand ancient geography. It also shows how oceans changed over time.

Why Did They Disappear?

The Decoritidae, like all ammonoids, are now extinct. The last ammonoids died out about 66 million years ago. This was during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. This event also wiped out the dinosaurs. Many other marine creatures also disappeared.

The Great Extinction

Scientists believe a giant asteroid impact caused this extinction. The impact led to huge environmental changes. Dust blocked the sun, making Earth cold and dark. This made it hard for plants and animals to survive. The Decoritidae family, however, went extinct much earlier. They were part of an earlier extinction event. This was the Permian–Triassic extinction event. This event happened about 252 million years ago. It was the largest extinction in Earth's history.