Scientists Keep Location Of Prehistoric Squid Found In Eastern Wyoming A Secret
Cowboy State Daily • • science
Key Points:
- The Tate Geological Museum at Casper College is exhibiting a rare 2-foot-long fossilized gladius from a Niobrarateuthis, a giant squid that lived about 80 million years ago in Wyoming's last ocean, the Western Interior Seaway.
- This fossil, found in the Sharon Springs member of the Pierre Shale, is significant due to the rarity of giant squid fossils, as most squid bodies were soft and rarely preserved.
- Niobrarateuthis and similar cephalopods likely grew up to 10 feet long, but much about their appearance and tentacle length remains unknown, with some evidence suggesting closer relations to modern octopuses than squids.
- These giant squids were part of a diverse prehistoric marine ecosystem and preyed upon by large marine reptiles like the mosasaur Tylosaurus, which could grow over 50 feet long and had serrated teeth capable of damaging squid.
- The fossil was discovered during a 2025 paleontological conference field trip, and the museum is cautious about revealing the exact location due to the site's rarity and potential for more significant finds.
