Orthoceras Double Heart Plate

Orthoceras is a genus of extinct marine cephalopods that lived during the Paleozoic Era, approximately 488 to 443 million years ago. The name “Orthoceras” is derived from the Greek words “orthos,” meaning straight, and “keras,” meaning horn, which refers to the characteristic long, straight, cone-shaped shells of these ancient creatures. Orthoceras is a type of nautiloid cephalopod, related to modern-day squids, octopuses, and nautiluses. The most distinctive feature of Orthoceras is its long, straight shell, which could reach lengths of up to several feet.