A genus of extinct, straight-shelled cephalopods from the Paleozoic Era that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.
From Greek 'baktron' (staff/rod) combined with the Latin suffix '-ites' meaning 'stone' or 'fossil,' describing their staff-like, rigid shells.
Bactrites were the evolutionary bridge between ammonites and modern squid—they had straight shells unlike their coiled relatives, and scientists think this straight design actually made them LESS successful in the ocean arms race!
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