The Cretaceous Dimitobelidae (Belemnitida) of the Antarctic Peninsula region

The Dimitobelidae is a Cretaceous belemnite family that was restricted to within the 30° S. palaeolatitude for its Aptian-Maastrichtian range. The family is described in detail from the Antarctic Peninsula region for the first time, and the three component genera Peratobelus Whitehouse, Tetrabelus Whitehouse, and Dimitobelus Whitehouse are revised. Species of Peratobelus (Aptian) and Dimitobelus (Aptian/Albian-Maastrichtian) from Antarctica closely resemble those from Australia, and include the new species D. praelindsayi sp. nov. A new species from Australia, D. dayi sp. nov., is also described. Species of Tetrabelus (Aptian-Albian) are unknown from Australasia, but the single form T. seclusus (Blanford) occurs in both the Antarctic Peninsula and southern India. Two new species, T. willeyi sp. nov. and T. whitehousei sp. nov., apparently endemic to the Antarctic Peninsula, are described