Teudopseina

The Teudopseina is a clade of stem-octopods that first evolved in the Toarcian,^[1] considered the largest clade of gladius-bearing coleoids in the Mesozoic. Up to five families are known, among which the Trachyteuthidae, Trachyteuthis in particular, were the most abundant.^[2]

Teudopseina Temporal range: Toarcian–Campanian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil of Muensterella scutellaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Order:	Octopoda
Suborder:	†Teudopseina Roger, 1952
Subgroups
†Palaeololignidae †Trachyteuthididae †Teudopsidae †Muensterelloidea †Muensterellidae †Patelloctopodidae

Description

The Teudopseina can be united by five primary traits. These are the presence of a gladius, a reduced, spoon-shaped conus, a median field that is distinctly rounded or pointed anteriorly, weakly curved hyperbolar zones, and lateral fields shorter than the hyperbolar zones.^[2] Members of the superfamily Muensterelloidea are characterized by a spoon-shaped section of the gladius, known as the patella. This is believed to be ancestral to the condition present in modern octopuses.^[3]

Taxonomy

The current consensus is that the Teudopseina forms a stem-group of the Octopoda.^[4][5] Certain taxa, such as Enchoteuthis, have sometimes been classified as either relatives of giant squids or vampire squids.^{[citation needed]}