Palaeobiology of tanaidaceans (Crustacea: Peracarida) from Cretaceous ambers: extending the scarce fossil record of a diverse peracarid group.

Diverse assemblages of tanaidacean peracarid crustaceans from western Tethyan continental deposits suggest that the group was relatively common in or around ancient resin-producing forests. Here we report the results of an examination of 13 tanaidacean specimens from three Cretaceous (Albian to Turo...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Sánchez García, Alba, Peñalver Mollá, Enrique, Bird, Graham J., Perrichot, Vincent, Delclòs Martínez, Xavier
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:2445/163539
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/163539
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Paleobiologia
Ambre
Cretaci
Paleobiology
Amber
Cretaceous Period
Descripción
Sumario:Diverse assemblages of tanaidacean peracarid crustaceans from western Tethyan continental deposits suggest that the group was relatively common in or around ancient resin-producing forests. Here we report the results of an examination of 13 tanaidacean specimens from three Cretaceous (Albian to Turonian) French amber deposits. Two new species of the fossil family Alavatanaidae are placed in the previously described Early Cretaceous genus Eurotanais: Eurotanais pyrenaensissp. nov. from Cenomanian Pyrenean amber (Fourtou, Aude) and Eurotanais seilacherisp. nov. from Turonian Vendean amber (La Garnache, Vendée). The remaining specimens are placed in three newly erected genera and species (but family incertae sedis): Arcantitanais turpisgen. et sp. nov. from Albian-Cenomanian Charentese amber (Archingeay, Charente-Maritime), and Tytthotanais tenvisgen. et sp. nov. and Armadillopsis raragen. et sp. nov. from Pyrenean amber. These are the first formally described fossils that might be related to the paratanaoidean families Nototanaidae and Paratanaidae, sharing with these some putatively derived features and providing possible evidence for the antiquity and morphological stability of these families and the suborder Tanaidomorpha. The distinctive features and character combinations of these fossil taxa are discussed in connection with possible relationships to the living lineages of tanaidaceans. Propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography was used to obtain high-quality 3D images for some fossils. A discussion is provided on the putative palaeobiology of tanaidaceans and the French resiniferous forest ecosystem. The discovery of these new tanaidaceans extends the palaeogeographical distribution and stratigraphical range of the family Alavatanaidae and sheds new light on the palaeoecology and diversity of tanaidaceans in pre-angiospermous woodlands.