A Silurian myodocope with preserved soft-parts: cautioning the interpretation of the shell-based ostracod record |
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| Authors: | David J Siveter Derek E G Briggs Derek J Siveter Mark D Sutton Sarah C Joomun |
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| Institution: | 1.Department of Geology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK;2.Department of Geology and Geophysics, and, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, PO Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA;3.Geological Collections, University Museum of Natural History, Oxford OX1 3PW, UK;4.Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK;5.Department of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BP, UK |
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| Abstract: | Ostracod crustaceans are the most abundant fossil arthropods. The Silurian Pauline avibella gen. et sp. nov., from the Herefordshire Lagerstätte, UK, is an extremely rare Palaeozoic example with soft-part preservation. Based on its soft-part morphology, especially the exceptionally preserved limbs and presence of lateral eyes, it is assigned to the myodocopid myodocopes. The ostracod is very large, with an epipod on the fifth limb pair, as well as gills implying the presence of a heart and an integrated respiratory–circulatory system as in living cylindroleberidid myodocopids. Features of its shell morphology, however, recall halocyprid myodocopes and palaeocopes, encouraging caution in classifying ostracods based on the carapace alone and querying the interpretation of their shell-based fossil record, especially for the Palaeozoic, where some 500 genera are presently assigned to the Palaeocopida. |
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| Keywords: | exceptional preservation Herefordshire Lagerstä tte Myodocopida Myodocopa Ostracoda Silurian |
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