| Tanzanonautes tuerkayi Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Malacostraca |
| Order: | Decapoda |
| Suborder: | Pleocyemata |
| Infraorder: | Brachyura |
| Family: | Potamonautidae |
| Genus: | Tanzanonautes |
| Species: | T. tuerkai |
| Binomial name | |
| Tanzanonautes tuerkai Feldmann et al., 2007 | |
Tanzanonautes tuerkayi is a species of fossil freshwater crab from Tanzania, the only species in the genus Tanzanonautes. [1] It is the oldest known freshwater crab, and probably dates from the Oligocene; [1] [2] the next oldest specimens are from the Miocene. [1] A number of fragmentary remains were discovered in the Songwe Valley part of the East African Rift in Mbeya Region, Tanzania (approximately 8°56′S33°12′E / 8.933°S 33.200°E ), in fragile sandstone sediments. [1] The animal had a carapace around 50 millimetres (2.0 in) across the widest part, which is around 15 mm (0.6 in) from the front of the carapace; the carapace is 44 mm (1.7 in) from front to back, and the slightly inward-curving rear edge of the carapace is 28 mm (1.1 in) across. [1] The genus name refers to Tanzania, the country where the fossil was found, while the specific epithet commemorates Michael Türkay, an authority on freshwater crabs. [1] The genus Tanzanonautes is assigned to the family Potamonautidae, although the characters mentioned in the family's diagnosis are missing from the fragmentary fossils available. [1]
