biology

Goniatites

Goniatites is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Goniatites rather than just read about it. In short: Goniatites is a genus of extinct cephalopods belonging to the family Goniatitidae, included in the superfamily Goniatitaceae. Hibernicoceras and Hypergoniatites are among related genera.

Key takeaways

Goniatites belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Goniatites to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Goniatites from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Goniatites is a genus of extinct cephalopods belonging to the family Goniatitidae, included in the superfamily Goniatitaceae. Hibernicoceras and Hypergoniatites are among related genera.

Species

Description The shell is generally globose with an open but narrow umbilicus, the surface commonly reticulate resulting from longitudinal lirae crossing transverse striae. The ventral lobe of the suture is rather narrow with a median saddle about or little less than half the height of entire lobe. The first lateral saddle is subangular to angular.

Distribution Fossils of species within this genus have been found widespread in North America, Eurasia, and north Africa. In particular they have been found in the Triassic of Italy, United States, in the Permian of United States, in the Carboniferous of the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Morocco, United Kingdom, United States, in the Mississippian of United States, as well in the Devonian of the Czech Republic, Spain, United States.

Gallery

References

Miller, Furnish, and Schindewolf, 1957. Paleozoic Ammonoidea, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part L. Geological Society of America. Genus Goniatites in GONIAT Sepkoski, Jack Sepkoski's Online Genus Database – Cephalopoda

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Goniatites

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Goniatites claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Goniatites before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Goniatites ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Goniatites

In research: Goniatites appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Goniatites in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Goniatites is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Carboniferous ammonites, Fossils of Ireland, Fossils of the Czech Republic, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Goniatites outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Goniatites” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Goniatites in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Goniatites means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Goniatites out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Goniatites in simple terms?

Goniatites is a genus of extinct cephalopods belonging to the family Goniatitidae, included in the superfamily Goniatitaceae. Hibernicoceras and Hypergoniatites are among related genera.

Why does Goniatites matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Goniatites?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Goniatites.