Cretaceous crab revolution

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The Cretaceous crab revolution was a major diversification event of brachyuran crustaceans (also known as true crabs) that took place during the Cretaceous period, from 145 to 66 million years ago. [1] [2] Nearly 80% of modern groups of crabs originated during this event. [3] The Cretaceous crab revolution is a smaller component of the greater Mesozoic marine revolution. [4]

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Early diversification

The oldest known true crabs are Eoprosopon klugi and Eocarcinus praecursor from the Early to Middle Jurassic. [5] [6] While that fossil crab, and a few other Jurassic species, establish that crabs existed in older time periods, crabs did not truly diversify into numerous species until the beginning of the Cretaceous. [3] During this time, crabs evolved into many different body plans and lifestyles, including the carcinized body shape like that of blue crabs that many people are familiar with. [7] [8] At the same time, many families of crabs evolved away from the carcinized body plan, termed decarcinization. [1] [2] The Cretaceous crab revolution also witnessed the evolution of more unusual body forms in crabs, including the enigmatic Callichimaera perplexa. [1] This rapid diversification allowed true crabs to inhabit many different environments including fresh water environments, coral reefs, swimming within the water column, and many others. [3] Cretaceous crabs exhibit expert shell-breaking behavior with powerful dimorphic claws, with the right being larger than the left. [9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Luque, J.; Feldmann, R. M.; Vernygora, O.; Schweitzer, C. E.; Cameron, C. B.; Kerr, K. A.; Vega, F. J.; Duque, A.; Strange, M.; Palmer, A. R.; Jaramillo, C. (April 2019). "Exceptional preservation of mid-Cretaceous marine arthropods and the evolution of novel forms via heterochrony". Science Advances. 5 (4): eaav3875. Bibcode:2019SciA....5.3875L. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aav3875. ISSN   2375-2548. PMC   6482010 . PMID   31032408.
  2. 1 2 Luque, Javier; Bracken-Grissom, Heather; Ortega-Hernandez, Javier; Wolfe, Joanna (2019). "Phylogenetics of true crabs, and the early origins of crab-like forms" (PDF). The Palaeontological Association (PalAss) Annual Meeting.
  3. 1 2 3 Schweitzer, Carrie E.; Feldmann, Rodney M. (2015-08-27). "Faunal turnover and niche stability in marine Decapoda in the Phanerozoic". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 35 (5): 633–649. doi: 10.1163/1937240x-00002359 . ISSN   0278-0372.
  4. ↑ Vermeij, G.J. (1977). "The Mesozoic marine revolution: evidence from snails, predators and grazers". Paleobiology. 1977 (3): 245–258. doi:10.1017/S0094837300005352. S2CID   54742050.
  5. ↑ Schweitzer, Carrie E.; Feldmann, Rodney M. (2010-05-01). "The Oldest Brachyura (Decapoda: Homolodromioidea: Glaessneropsoidea) Known to Date (Jurassic)". Journal of Crustacean Biology. 30 (2): 251–256. doi: 10.1651/09-3231.1 . ISSN   0278-0372. S2CID   84707572.
  6. ↑ Scholtz, Gerhard (2020-11-01). "Eocarcinus praecursor Withers, 1932 (Malacostraca, Decapoda, Meiura) is a stem group brachyuran". Arthropod Structure & Development. 59: 100991. doi: 10.1016/j.asd.2020.100991 . ISSN   1467-8039. PMID   32891896. S2CID   221525257.
  7. ↑ Borradaile, L.A. (1916). "Crustacea. Part II. Porcellanopagurus: An instance of carcinization, in British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition, 1910". Zoology. 3: 111–126.
  8. ↑ Scholtz, Gerhard (2014-03-26). "Evolution of crabs – history and deconstruction of a prime example of convergence". Contributions to Zoology. 83 (2): 87–105. doi: 10.1163/18759866-08302001 . ISSN   1875-9866.
  9. ↑ Dietl, Gregory P.; Vega, Francisco J. (2008-06-23). "Specialized shell-breaking crab claws in Cretaceous seas". Biology Letters. 4 (3): 290–293. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2008.0031. ISSN   1744-9561. PMC   2610046 . PMID   18331975.


Dietl, G. P., & Vega , F. J. (2008, March 10). Specialized shell-breaking crab claws in cretaceous seas | biology ... Biology Letters. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0031

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