INTERTWINING FOSSIL AND MODERN PHYLOGENIES OF THE SQUAT LOBSTERS (DECAPODA: GALATHEOIDEA)

Recent studies of fossil galatheoid squat lobsters have revealed a much higher level of diversity than previously thought, with over forty new species of galatheoids found from one Late Jurassic fossil locality in Austria alone. Re-evaluation of the remaining known fossil taxa has revealed many historical classifications that do not reflect the current understanding of the superfamily. This observation, combined with the newly analyzed fossil material, has resulted in the erection of 18 new genera and one new family within Galatheoidea. Prior to the current studies, there were approximately 100 fossil species known within the superfamily, with the fossil record extending to the Middle Jurassic. Ongoing studies suggest that there are at least 150 fossil species now known. With over 1,000 extant species of galatheoids, the high level of diversity within the fossil record is not surprising. Formulation of a phylogenetic hypothesis of the fossil and extant taxa has been completed at the generic level, with modern genera being coded using the same criteria as fossil taxa: exclusively dorsal carapace characteristics. Preliminary results indicate that several morphological characters track verifiable genetic divisions between modern taxa, which can be extrapolated to the fossil record. Museum and field work supported by NSF EF0531670 to Feldmann and Schweitzer.