Tusoteuthis longa
(tuss oh TOOTH us)
Description: Giant Squid
Specimen location: Pierre Shale of South Dakota
Like modern squids, Tusoteuthis lacked an external shell but had a hard internal support called a pen. This piece ran the length of the squid body and was usually the only body part to fossilize. The pen of Tusoteuthis could reach a length of five feet, the same as the modern giant squid. The tentacles of this ancient squid could add another five feet or more to the total length.
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