Skip to Main Content

Hoploscaphites nicolletii

Geological Range

Hoploscaphites nicolletii Zone: Upper Maastrichtian

Paleogeographic Distribution

Wyoming to Montana

Remarks

3D Model of species created by Shellie Luallin:

Original presentation: Ammonites nicolletii

Original publication: Morton, S. G. 1842. Description of some new species of organic remains of the Cretaceous Group of the United States with a tabular view of the fossils hitherto discovered in this formation. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 8(2): 207-227. [p. 209, pl. 10, fig. 3].

Neotype: YPM 27222 (plaster cast of Morton’s type is ANSP 51563).

Type locality: unknown (see Landman and Waage, 1993).

Zonation:Hoploscaphites nicolletii zone (Cobban et al., 2006).

PaleoDB taxon number: 145232.

Synonyms: ?Ammonites mandanensis Morton, 1842 (source: Landman and Waage, 1993); ?Ammonites abyssinus Morton, 1842 (source: Landman and Waage, 1993).

References: Landman and Waage (1993).

Origin of name: named for Joseph Nicolas Nicollet, “who explored and mapped the upper Mississippi River Valley and collected Cretaceous fossils in South Dakota in 1839” (Cobban et al., 2006, p. 33).

Original description: A. Nicolletii. PI. 10, fig. 3.—Shell convex, rapidly enlarging towards the mouth, with at least two volutions, one received deeply into the other ; costae delicate, gently curved, and bifurcate towards the convex dorsal periphery, which they cross in arched lines, between numerous minute tubercles.

I have much pleasure in dedicating this interesting species to my friend Mr. Nicollet, whose zeal and intelligence have contributed largely to the development of American science.

Some years since I saw several specimens of Ammonites which were obtained by Judge Bry, in the township of Wachita, in Louisiana. I have elsewhere (Synop. p. 24,) considered them as indications of cretaceous deposits; and my recollection induces me to believe that their characters correspond either to A. abyssinus or A. Nicolktii.

To access this description in its original formatting through the Biodiversity Heritage Library, click here.

Stratigraphic Occurrences

Maastrichtian
Fox Hills Formation (ND)
Fox Hills Formation (SD)
Fox Hills Formation (Trail City Member) (ND)
Fox Hills Formation (Timber Lake Member) (SD)
Fox Hills Formation (Trail City Member) (SD)
Pierre Shale (WY)
Unknown Stage
Pierre Shale (SD)
Neotype of <i>Hoploscaphites nicolletii</i> from the Maastrichtian Fox Hills Formation of Corson County, South Dakota (YPM 27222).
Neotype of Hoploscaphites nicolletii from the Maastrichtian Fox Hills Formation of Corson County, South Dakota (YPM 27222).
Neotype (A-D; YPM 27222) and plaster cast of Morton's type (E-F; ANSP 51563) of <i>Hoploscaphites nicollettii</i> (macroconchs). See original caption for additional details. Image modified from fig. 48A-G in Landman and Waage (1993 in <i>Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 215</i>) and used with permission.
Neotype (A-D; YPM 27222) and plaster cast of Morton's type (E-F; ANSP 51563) of Hoploscaphites nicollettii (macroconchs). See original caption for additional details. Image modified from fig. 48A-G in Landman and Waage (1993 in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 215) and used with permission.
Microconch specimen of <i>Hoploscaphites nicolletii</i> (YPM 27235). See original caption for additional details. Image modified from fig. 52H-L in Landman and Waage (1993 in <i>Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 215</i>) and used with permission.
Microconch specimen of Hoploscaphites nicolletii (YPM 27235). See original caption for additional details. Image modified from fig. 52H-L in Landman and Waage (1993 in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 215) and used with permission.
Suture and whorl profiles of <i>Hoploscaphites nicolletii</i>. See original caption for additional details. Image modified from figs. 61-63 in Landman and Waage (1993 in <i>Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 215</i>) and used with permission.
Suture and whorl profiles of Hoploscaphites nicolletii. See original caption for additional details. Image modified from figs. 61-63 in Landman and Waage (1993 in Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 215) and used with permission.
<i>Hoploscaphites nicolletii</i> from the Maastrichtian Fox Hills Fm. (Trail City Member) of Dewey County, South Dakota (YPM 53481).
Hoploscaphites nicolletii from the Maastrichtian Fox Hills Fm. (Trail City Member) of Dewey County, South Dakota (YPM 53481).
Stratigraphic position unknown
Stratigraphic position unknown