ANOMURAN DIVERSITY INCUBATORS OF THE LATE JURASSIC (CRUSTACEA, DECAPODA)

Modern oceans are replete with anomurans. Although their fossil record extends into the Triassic, two reefal complexes from the Late Jurassic are proving to be the evolutionary crucible. The Štramberk limestones of the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as the Ernstbrunn Limestones of Austria, have yielded well over 50 species of Anomura. The fossil species are primarily galatheoids, commonly called squat lobsters. One third of the total known fossil galatheoid species have been found exclusively in these Late Jurassic reefs. Several paguroid species (hermit crabs) have also been found. Thus far the Ernstbrunn material has yielded more anomuran species than the Štramberk material; this is quite possibly due to collecting biases. Recent collecting has yielded a new species from the Štramberk Limestones, as well as new information about previously described species. Most species from Štramberk are also found in Ernstbrunn suggesting a high degree of faunal similarity for anomurans in reef environments in Central Europe during the Late Jurassic.