Exceptional preservation of internal organs in a new fossil species of freshwater shrimp (Caridea: Palaemonoidea) from the Eocene of Messel (Germany)

Abstract

A new species of extinct freshwater shrimp was discovered in the Eocene deposit of the Messel Pit Konservat-Lagerstätte. This rare find is represented by only a few specimens, one of which showing exceptionally preserved soft tissues and other internal parts like the stomach with possibly gastric ossicles in place, branchiae, the ovary, and the left mandible, never described in a fossil shrimp. The new species Bechleja brevirostris n. sp. is characterized by a short rostrum bearing 6–8 dorsal spines and one ventral tooth, and long second pereiopods with strong chelae. One additional specimen shows a slightly different morphology and might belong to a different species. The systematic position of the species among the superfamily Palaemonoidea is discussed, as well as implications for the knowledge of the paleoenvironment of Lake Messel and the paleobiogeography of the Eocene.

Author Correction: Exceptional preservation of internal organs in a new fossil species of freshwater shrimp (Caridea: Palaemonoidea) from the Eocene of Messel (Germany)

“…The present publication has been registered in ZooBank with the LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D9D7741A-AD8A-48B1-B6E6-B720C376307B. The following ‘Systematic Paleontology’ section modified from the original article 2 appears below. In addition, the collection data of the holotype is corrected in the text and in Fig.…”