Crab in amber reveals an early colonization of nonmarine environments during the Cretaceous
Luque, J.; Xing, L.; Briggs, D.E.G.; Clark, E.G.; Duque, A.; Hui, J.; Mai, H.; McKellar, R.C. (2021). Crab in amber reveals an early colonization of nonmarine environments during the Cretaceous. Science Advances 7(43): eabj5689. https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abj5689
In: Science Advances. AAAS: New York. ISSN 2375-2548; e-ISSN 2375-2548, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Luque, J.
- Xing, L.
- Briggs, D.E.G.
- Clark, E.G.
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- Duque, A.
- Hui, J.
- Mai, H.
- McKellar, R.C.
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| Abstract |
Amber fossils provide snapshots of the anatomy, biology, and ecology of extinct organisms that are otherwise inaccessible. The best-known fossils in amber are terrestrial arthropods—principally insects—whereas aquatic organisms are rarely represented. Here, we present the first record of true crabs (Brachyura) in amber—from the Cretaceous of Myanmar [~100 to 99 million years (Ma)]. The new fossil preserves large compound eyes, delicate mouthparts, and even gills. This modern-looking crab is nested within crown Eubrachyura, or “higher” true crabs, which includes the majority of brachyuran species living today. The fossil appears to have been trapped in a brackish or freshwater setting near a coastal to fluvio-estuarine environment, bridging the gap between the predicted molecular divergence of nonmarine crabs (~130 Ma) and their younger fossil record (latest Cretaceous and Paleogene, ~75 to 50 Ma) while providing a reliable calibration point for molecular divergence time estimates for higher crown eubrachyurans. |
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