Metacarcinus

Met-ah-car-sin-us.
By Harper Gray
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Gray, H. (2014, April 14). Metacarcinus. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/metacarcinus/

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Name

Metacarcinus.

Phonetic

Met-ah-car-sin-us.

Named By

A.‭ ‬Milne-Edwards‭ ‬-‭ ‬1862.

Classification

Arthropoda,‭ ‬Crustacea,‭ ‬Malacostraca,‭ ‬Decapoda,‭ ‬Brachyura,‭ ‬Cancridae.

Diet

Carnivore/Detritivore.

Species

M.‭ ‬anthonyi,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬danai,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬davidi,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬goederti,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬gracilis,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬granti,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬izumoensis,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬jenniferae,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬magister,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬minutoserratus,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬novaezelandiae,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬novazelandiae,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬starri,‭ ‬M.‭ ‬tenax

Size

Average about‭ ‬10-20‭ ‬centimetres shell width,‭ ‬but exact‭ ‬size depends upon the species.

Known locations

‭Possibly worldwide.

Time Period

Oligocene through to modern day for some species.

Fossil representation

Numerous individuals.

In Depth

       With the first individuals initially described as a species of the Cancer genus,‭ ‬Metacarcinus is a genus of crab that not only has some living species today,‭ ‬but a number of prehistoric ones too.‭ ‬Some of‭ ‬these species such as M.‭ ‬starri and‭ ‬M.‭ ‬goederti are known from deposits as old as the Oligocene period.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new crab‭ (‬Brachyura:‭ ‬Cancridae‭) ‬from Lower Miocene rocks of the Northwestern Olympic Peninsula,‭ ‬Washington.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Paleontology‭ ‬70‭ (‬5‭)‬:‭ ‬830‭–‬835.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Ross E.‭ ‬Berglund‭ & ‬James L.‭ ‬Goedert‭ ‬-‭ ‬1996. -‭ ‬Re-evaluation of the Cancridae Latreille,‭ ‬1802‭ (‬Decapoda:‭ ‬Brachyura‭) ‬including three new genera and three new species.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Contributions to Zoology‭ ‬69‭ (‬4‭)‬:‭ ‬223‭–‬250.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Carrie E.‭ ‬Schweitzer‭ & ‬Rodney M.‭ ‬Feldmann‭ ‬-‭ ‬2000.

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