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The earliest unambiguous crab fossils date from the Early Jurassic, with the oldest being Eocarcinus from the early Pliensbachian of Britain, which likely represents a stem-group lineage, as it lacks several key morphological features that define modern crabs.
Since its ancestors were long-tailed decapods, and its successors were short-tailed crabs, Eocarcinus has been described as "the lobster who decided to become a crab". [5] Previously considered to be the oldest known true crab , a 2010 revision concluded that Eocarcinus could not be accommodated among the Brachyura, and was instead transferred ...
Horseshoe crabs have been described as "living fossils", having changed little since they first appeared in the Triassic. Only four species of horseshoe crab are extant today. Most are marine, though the mangrove horseshoe crab is often found in brackish water. Additionally, certain extinct species transitioned to living in freshwater.
Carcinisation (American English: carcinization) is a form of convergent evolution in which non-crab crustaceans evolve a crab-like body plan. The term was introduced into evolutionary biology by L. A. Borradaile, who described it as "the many attempts of Nature to evolve a crab". [2]
Fossils are rarely preserved in tropical settings in comparison to other parts of the world, making this fossil an even more unusual discovery. [7] An in-depth study of the crab's eyes indicated that Callichimaera was an active predator living high in the water column. [5]
The group has hardly changed in appearance in hundreds of millions of years; the modern horseshoe crabs look almost identical to prehistoric genera and are considered to be living fossils. The most notable difference between ancient and modern forms is that the abdominal segments in present species are fused into a single unit in adults.
Warmer, ice-free conditions in the southeast Bering Sea are roughly 200 times more likely now than before humans began burning planet-warming fossil fuels. Scientists have more evidence to explain ...
Metacarcinus crabs have an oval carapace of about ⅔ of its largest width, with a surface with poorly marked division of smooth or gently colored regions. The front edge usually does not protrude before orbital, and the total length of these edges is 26–34% of the largest width of the carapace, with five spikes, including inner orbits, of which the middle springs lower than the others. 9 ...