Eocarcinus
| Eocarcinus Temporal range: Pliensbachian | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Crustacea |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Infraorder: | Anomura |
| Superfamily: | Eocarcinoidea |
| Family: | Eocarcinidae Withers, 1932 |
| Genus: | Eocarcinus Withers, 1932 |
| Species: | E. praecursor |
| Binomial name | |
| Eocarcinus praecursor Withers, 1932 | |
Eocarcinus praecursor is a Jurassic species of decapod crustacean, sufficiently distinct from its relatives to be placed in its own family (Eocarcinidae).[1] Once considered the oldest true crab, it is now considered to be an early member of the Anomura.
Distribution
It lived during the Pliensbachian age (Lower Jurassic),[2] and has been found in rocks at two sites in the United Kingdom – Mickelton Tunnel (near Aston Magna), Gloucestershire and Runswick Bay, Yorkshire.[3]
Description
In many of its characters, it represents a transitional stage between the Glypheoidea and the Middle Jurassic crabs in the Prosopidae.[2] Since its ancestors were long-tailed decapods, and its successors were short-tailed crabs, Eocarcinus has been described as "the lobster who decided to become a crab".[4] Previously considered to be the oldest known true crab, a 2010 revision concluded that Eocarcinus could not be accommodated among the Brachyura, and was instead transferred to the Anomura.[5]
References
- ↑ Sammy De Grave, N. Dean Pentcheff, Shane T. Ahyong et al. (2009). "A classification of living and fossil genera of decapod crustaceans" (PDF). Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. Suppl. 21: 1–109.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 M. Krobicki & M. Zaton (2008). "Middle and Late Jurassic roots of brachyuran crabs: Palaeoenvironmental distribution during their early evolution". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 263 (1–2): 30–43. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.01.025.
- ↑ Danièle Guinot & Marcos Tavares (2001). "Une nouvelle famille de Crabes du Crétacé, et la notion de Podotremata Guinot, 1977 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura)" (PDF). Zoosystema 23 (3): 507–546.
- ↑ Anonymous (1932). "The Royal Society Conversazione". British Medical Journal 1 (3724): 946–947. JSTOR: 1st page, 2nd page
- ↑ Rodney M. Feldmann & Carrie E. Schweitzer (2010). "Is Eocarcinus Withers, 1932, a basal brachyuran?". Journal of Crustacean Biology 30 (2): 241–250. doi:10.1651/09-3230.1.