MORPHOLOGICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE LOBSTER UNCINA BASED ON NEW MATERIAL FROM THE YAHA TINDA LAGERSTÄTTE, CANADA (EARLY JURASSIC)

It is rare to find Early Jurassic crustacean material outside of Europe but the discovery of the Ya Ha Tinda Lagerstätte in Alberta, Canada has significantly increased the number of specimens, specifically of the genus Uncina. New articulated specimens of Uncina pacifica and Uncina ollerenshawi preserve the majority of the cephalothorax and pleon, not just the chelae of the first pereiopod. This new material from Ya Ha Tinda permits revised taxonomic descriptions that include anatomical details of these lobsters not previously known, as well as a quantitative analysis of the intra- and interspecific variability of Uncina claw morphology. Uncina species exhibit a diaeresis on the exopod of the uropods and do not necessarily have short fingers; we also note that Uncina pacifica is heterochelous, whereas the other Uncina species are isochelous. In addition, morphometric similarities and differences are noted between species.