New horseshoe crab fossil from Germany demonstrates post-Triassic extinction of Austrolimulidae

Horseshoe crabs within Austrolimulidae represent the extreme limits to which the xiphosurid Bauplan could be modified. Recent interest in this group has uncovered an unprecedented diversity of these odd-ball xiphosurids and led to suggestions that Austrolimulidae arose during the Permian Period and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geological magazine 2021-08, Vol.158 (8), p.1461-1471
Main Authors: Bicknell, Russell D. C., Hecker, Andreas, Heyng, Alexander M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arthropoda
Austrolimulidae
Bavaria Germany
Bayreuth Formation
Central Europe
Chelicerata
correlation
Crustaceans
Endangered & extinct species
Etymology
Europe
Exoskeleton
exoskeletons
Extinction
Fossils
Franconiolimulus pochankei
Germany
Hettangian
invertebrate
Jurassic
Limulina
Limuloidea
Lower Jurassic
Marine crustaceans
Merostomata
Mesozoic
Morphology
Museums
New species
new taxa
Original Article
Paleontology
Paleozoic
Pechgraben Germany
Permian
species diversity
Taxonomy
Triassic
Upper Triassic
Xiphosura
Xiphosurida
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Summary:Horseshoe crabs within Austrolimulidae represent the extreme limits to which the xiphosurid Bauplan could be modified. Recent interest in this group has uncovered an unprecedented diversity of these odd-ball xiphosurids and led to suggestions that Austrolimulidae arose during the Permian Period and had become extinct by the end of the Triassic Period. Here, we extend the temporal record of Austrolimulidae by documenting a new horseshoe crab from the Lower Jurassic (Hettangian) Bayreuth Formation, Franconiolimulus pochankei gen. et sp. nov. The novel specimen displays hypertrophied genal spines, a key feature indicative of Austrolimulidae, but does not show as prominent accentuation or reduction of other exoskeletal sections. In considering the interesting family, we explore the possible origins and explanations for the bizarre morphologies exhibited by the Austrolimulidae and present hypotheses regarding the extinction of the group. Further examination of horseshoe crab fossils with unique features will undoubtedly continue to increase the diversity and disparity of these curious xiphosurids.
ISSN:0016-7568
1469-5081
DOI:10.1017/S0016756820001478