A new species of late Cretaceous crab (Brachyura: Carcineretidae) from Albion Island, Belize

A new species of carcineretid crab, Carcineretesplanetarius, is described from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Maastrichtian) Barton Creek Dolomite at Albion Island, Belize. The age is based on the stratigraphic range of associated nerineid gastropods and correlation with nannoplankton, benthic foramini...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of paleontology 1997-07, Vol.71 (4), p.615-620
Main Authors: Vega, Francisco J., Feldmann, Rodney M., Ocampo, Adriana C., Pope, Kevin O.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Aquatic life
Belize
Biological Evolution
Brachyura - anatomy & histology
Brachyura - classification
Crabs
Cretaceous
Dolomite
Endangered & extinct species
Fauna
Fossils
Genera
Geological Phenomena
Geology
Highways
Maastrichtian age
New species
Paleontology
Space life sciences
Spheroids
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Description
Summary:A new species of carcineretid crab, Carcineretesplanetarius, is described from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Maastrichtian) Barton Creek Dolomite at Albion Island, Belize. The age is based on the stratigraphic range of associated nerineid gastropods and correlation with nannoplankton, benthic foraminifera, and the other known congeneric species of crab found in Jamaica. Confirmation of this age aids in constraining the timing of ejecta deposits of the Chicxulub impact found at the top of Barton Creek Dolomite exposed on Albion Island. Paleoenvironmental and paleoecological analyses suggest that these crabs were swimmers in lagoonal settings, capable of burrowing a few centimeters into the mud for protection.
ISSN:0022-3360
1937-2337
DOI:10.1017/S0022336000040105