Crab in amber reveals an early colonization of nonmarine environments during the Cretaceous.
Sci Adv
; 7(43): eabj5689, 2021 Oct 22.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34669480
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 arthropodsprincipally insectswhereas aquatic organisms are rarely represented. Here, we present the first record of true crabs (Brachyura) in amberfrom 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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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Adv
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos