Mineralization of soft-part anatomy and invading microbes in the horseshoe crab Mesolimulus from the Upper Jurassic Lagerstätte of Nusplingen, Germany

A remarkable specimen of Mesolimulus from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of Nusplingen, Germany, preserves the musculature of the prosoma and associated microbes in three dimensions in calcium phosphate (apatite). The musculature of Mesolimulus conforms closely to that of modern horseshoe crabs....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2005-03, Vol.272 (1563), p.627-632
Main Authors: Briggs, Derek E.G, Moore, Rachel A, Shultz, Jeffrey W, Schweigert, Günter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Apatites
Biofilms
Calcium phosphates
Calcium Phosphates - chemistry
Fossil Microbe
Fossils
Germany
Horseshoe Crab
Horseshoe crabs
Horseshoe Crabs - anatomy & histology
Horseshoe Crabs - chemistry
Horseshoe Crabs - microbiology
Jurassic
Mesolimulus
Microorganisms
Muscle tissues
Muscles
Nusplingen
Paleontology
Preservation
Sediments
Specimens
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Summary:A remarkable specimen of Mesolimulus from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of Nusplingen, Germany, preserves the musculature of the prosoma and associated microbes in three dimensions in calcium phosphate (apatite). The musculature of Mesolimulus conforms closely to that of modern horseshoe crabs. Associated with the muscles are patches of mineralized biofilm with spiral and coccoid forms. This discovery emphasizes the potential of soft-bodied fossils as a source for increasing our knowledge of the diversity of fossil microbes in particular settings.
ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2004.3006