Belemnite

Long before scientists identified them as fossils, people across Europe and Asia found these pointy stones and created elaborate legends to explain them:

: Because they were often found after heavy rains (which washed away topsoil), ancient Greeks and medieval Europeans believed they were darts from heaven thrown down during thunderstorms. belemnite

: Unlike modern squids with soft bodies, belemnites had a hard internal skeleton. The most common part found today is the rostrum (or guard)—a bullet-shaped feature at the tail end used for buoyancy and balance while swimming. Long before scientists identified them as fossils, people

: While they originated in the Triassic period (about 237 million years ago), they became ocean superstars during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. : While they originated in the Triassic period

Belemnites were squid-like marine mollusks belonging to the class, making them cousins to modern squids, octopuses, and the extinct ammonites .

Paleontologists often find thousands of these fossils clustered together in "death beds" known as . Belemnites - British Geological Survey

: They were fast, streamlined hunters equipped with ten hooked arms for grasping prey like crustaceans, large eyes for spotting predators, and ink sacs to create smoky diversions. 2. Myths of "Thunderbolts" and "Devil's Fingers"