Isolated mantis shrimp dactyli from the Pliocene of North Carolina and their bearing on the history of Stomatopoda

We describe 54 fragmentary specimens from the Pliocene of North Carolina that represent isolated dactyli of mantis shrimps. These specimens are preserved uncompressed within three dimensions in calcium phosphate. The dactyli have an estimated maximum length of 15 millimeters and bear six spines. The...

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Published inBoletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana Vol. 65; no. 2; pp. 273 - 284
Main Authors Haug, Carolin, Shannon, Kevin R., Nyborg, Torrey, Vega, Francisco J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Sociedad Geológica Mexicana e Instituto de Geología de la UNAM 01.01.2013
Sociedad Geológica Mexicana, A.C
Subjects
Appendages
ARTICLES / ARTÍCULOS
Calcium phosphates
Crustaceans
Fauna
Fossils
Geology
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Materials preservation
Paleontology
Predators
Shrimp
predators
fósiles fosfatizados
Squilla empusa
paleoecology
preservación tridimensional
manipulación de imágenes
three-dimensional preservation
phosphatized fossils
imaging
depredadores
paleoecología
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Summary:We describe 54 fragmentary specimens from the Pliocene of North Carolina that represent isolated dactyli of mantis shrimps. These specimens are preserved uncompressed within three dimensions in calcium phosphate. The dactyli have an estimated maximum length of 15 millimeters and bear six spines. The specimens appear to be hollow and preserve fine details, especially a narrow crest on the dorsal side of the spines, a functional blade edge that has not been previously found on any fossil stomatopod. The specimens are provisionally attributed to the speciesSquilla empusa, found nowadays along the entire East coast of the United States of America. Fossil occurrences are known from the Pleistocene of Maryland and from the late Pleistocene or early Holocene of Connecticut. Though isolated dactyli are less informative on the taxonomic level, they can be important on the paleo-ecological level, positively demonstrating the presence of ambush predators in an investigated paleo-community. Given the scarce stomatopod fossil record and the exceptional three-dimensional preservation, the finding of these specimens, despite their fragmentary nature, is regarded as significant.
ISSN:1405-3322
1405-3322
DOI:10.18268/BSGM2013v65n2a9