A new vampyromorph species from the Middle Jurassic La Voulte‐sur‐Rhône Lagerstätte

Abstract

Eight coleoid genera have so far been described from the Callovian‐aged La Voulte‐sur‐Rhône Lagerstätte (c. 165 Ma; Ardèche, France), a locality noted for its unique three‐dimensional preservation of soft tissues. Here, we used high resolution x‐ray‐based imaging methods, in conjunction with reflectance transformation imaging, to study the soft tissues of a previously undescribed coleoid from the La Voulte‐sur‐Rhône locality. This analysis identified both an ink sac and internal light organs, a combination of defence mechanisms present in the Recent, although not previously described from the coleoid fossil record, as well as the presence of Octobrachia‐type arm musculature and Vampyroteuthis‐like sucker attachments. The morphology of the gladius could not be attributed to any known coleoids and therefore justified the assignment of this single specimen to a new taxon: Vampyrofugiens atramentum. The addition of this new vampyromorph species not only increases the coleoid diversity known from the site, but also broadens the morphological variation observed in the co‐occurring coleoid taxa. These findings suggest that there was a high diversity of cephalopods occupying differentiated communities during the Middle Jurassic.