Research and Publications - Alabama Museum of Natural History

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Browsing Research and Publications - Alabama Museum of Natural History by Subject "Arthropoda"

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    A late Paleocene fauna from shallow-water chemosynthesis-based ecosystems, Spitsbergen, Svalbard
    (Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 2019) Hryniewicz, Krzysztof; Amano, Kazutaka; Bitner, Maria Aleksandra; Hagstrom, Jonas; Kiel, Steffen; Klompmaker, Adiel A.; Mors, Thomas; Robins, Cristina M.; Kaim, Andrzej; Polish Academy of Sciences; Institute of Paleobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences; Joetsu University Education; Swedish Museum of Natural History; University of California System; University of California Berkeley; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    We present a systematic study of late Paleocene macrofauna from methane seep carbonates and associated driftwood in the shallow marine Basilika Formation, Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The fauna is composed of 22 taxa, comprising one brachiopod, 14 bivalves, three gastropods, three crustaceans, and one bony fish. The reported fish remains are among the first vertebrate body fossils from the Paleogene of Spitsbergen. One genus is new: the munidid decapod Valamunida Klompmaker and Robins gen. nov. Four new species are described: the terebratulide brachiopod Neoliothyrina nakremi Bitner sp. nov., the protobranch bivalve Yoldiella spitsbergensis Amano sp. nov., the xylophagain bivalve Xylophagella littlei Hryniewicz sp. nov., and the munidid decapod Valamunida haeggi Klompmaker and Robins gen. et sp. nov. New combinations are provided for the mytilid bivalve Inoperna plenicostata, the thyasirid bivalve Rhacothyas spitzbergensis, the ampullinid gastropod Globularia isfjordensis, and the munidid decapod Protomunida spitzbergica. Thirteen taxa are left in open nomenclature. The fauna contains a few last occurrences of Cretaceous survivors into the Paleocene, as well as first occurrences of Cenozoic taxa. It is composed of chemosymbiotic thyasirid bivalves and background species common in the northern Atlantic and Arctic during the Paleocene. Our results provide no evidence for a Paleocene origin of vesicomyid and bathymodiolin bivalves typical for Eocene and younger seep environments; instead, the Paleocene seeps of the Basilika Formation are more similar to their Late Cretaceous equi valents rich in thyasirids.
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    Systematics and convergent evolution of multiple reef-associated Jurassic and Cretaceous crabs (Decapoda, Brachyura)
    (Coquina Press, 2020) Klompmaker, Adiel A.; Starzyk, Natalia; Fraaije, Rene H. B.; Schweigert, Gunter; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa; University of California System; University of California Berkeley; Polish Academy of Sciences; Institute of Systematics & Evolution of Animals of the Polish Academy of Sciences
    The Late Jurassic marks the first major radiation among true crabs (Brachyura) in reef environments, followed by another diversification in the mid- to Late Cretaceous in multiple habitats. We studied brachyuran carapaces from Mesozoic sponge- and coralassociated limestones in Europe. Six new taxa are described: Late Jurassic Europrosopon gen. nov., Eodromites bernchrisdomiorum sp. nov., Prosopon josephcollinsi sp. nov., Tanidromites nightwishorum sp. nov., and T weinschenki sp. nov.; and midCretaceous Eodromites cristinarobinsae sp. nov. Furthermore, we recognize four junior synonyms: Eodromites grandis (=E. guenteri), Tanidromites scheffnerae (=T wysokaensis), and Europrosopon aculeatum (=E. verrucosum and E. barbulescuae). Five taxa are reassigned: Eodromites aequilatus to Tanidromites, Tanidromites rotundus to Eodromites, Nodoprosopon dzhafarberdensis to ?Abyssophthalmus, Nodoprosopon from Nodoprosopidae to Homolodromiidae, and Rathbunopon from Glaessneropsidae to Prosopidae. Several other taxa are redescribed. The latter reassignment indicates that Rathbunopon does not represent an example of extreme convergent evolution as implied previously. Conversely, the frontal structure consisting of a rostrum with two diverging spines and outer orbital spines appears a remarkable example of convergent evolution of the goniodromitid Navarradromites toward members of Homolodromiidae, for which this frontal structure is characteristic. Rostral spines represent another example of convergent evolution. Some specimens are extraordinary: A specimen of Abyssophthalmus cf. A. spinosus represents the largest complete reported Jurassic brachyuran thus far and one specimen of Planoprosopon aff. P hystricosus bears one of the largest known parasitic isopod-induced swellings (ichnotaxon Kanthyloma crusta) relative to carapace size. Overall, our results indicate that biodiversity and convergent evolution in Mesozoic brachyurans remain understudied.