A guide to the fossil Decapoda (Crustacea: Axiidea, Anomura, Brachyura) of the British Isles

Abstract

Ranging from the Jurassic to the Pleistocene, the fossil record of decapod crustaceans in the British Isles is extensive, comprised of 159 species (including those in open nomenclature) assigned to 101 genera. Preservation is variable, but most taxa are based upon carapace material; the study of disarticulated limb elements has added surprisingly little to the known diversity. No new taxa are erected herein, but some species have been reassigned to more appropriate genera and/or families. The stratigraphic distribution of these crustaceans is such that most, if not all, species are known from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic successions of southern and eastern England. Some areas and horizons are particularly rich in decapod species, including the Aptian Atherfield Clay Formation, Isle of Wight; the Albian Gault Clay Formation; the Cenomanian Beer Head Limestone Formation, Wilmington Sands Member; the Lower Eocene London Clay Formation; the Paleogene of the Isle of Wight; and the various crag formations of East Anglia.