Surf Wiki
Save to docs
general/crabs

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Eocarcinus

Extinct genus of crustaceans

Eocarcinus
Summary

Extinct genus of crustaceans

Reconstruction based on 2020 reanalysis
Additional paratype specimen

Eocarcinus praecursor is a Jurassic species of decapod crustacean, sufficiently distinct from its relatives to be placed in its own family (Eocarcinidae). Often considered the oldest true crab, it was considered by a 2010 study to be an early member of the Anomura. However, a reanalysis in 2020 again found it to be the earliest known stem-group crab.

Distribution

It lived during the early Pliensbachian age (Lower Jurassic), and has been found in rocks at two sites in the United Kingdom – Mickelton Tunnel (near Aston Magna), Gloucestershire and Runswick Bay, Yorkshire.

Description

In many of its characters, it represents a transitional stage between the Glypheoidea and the Middle Jurassic crabs in the Prosopidae. 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". 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. However, a 2020 reanalysis found that it was again the earliest known stem-group crab, but that it had not undergone the process of carcinisation.

References

References

  1. (2009). "A classification of living and fossil genera of decapod crustaceans". [[Raffles Bulletin of Zoology]].
  2. Scholtz, Gerhard. (November 2020). "Eocarcinus praecursor Withers, 1932 (Malacostraca, Decapoda, Meiura) is a stem group brachyuran". Arthropod Structure & Development.
  3. (2008). "Middle and Late Jurassic roots of brachyuran crabs: Palaeoenvironmental distribution during their early evolution". [[Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology]].
  4. (2001). "Une nouvelle famille de Crabes du Crétacé, et la notion de Podotremata Guinot, 1977 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura)". [[Zoosystema]].
  5. Anonymous. (1932). "The Royal Society Conversazione". [[British Medical Journal]].
  6. (2010). "Is ''Eocarcinus'' Withers, 1932, a basal brachyuran?". [[Journal of Crustacean Biology]].
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

crabs jurassic-crustaceans monotypic-prehistoric-decapod-genera fossils-of-great-britain fossil-taxa-described-in-1932
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Eocarcinus — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report