The end of the ‘living fossil’ tale? A new look at Triassic specimens assigned to the tadpole shrimp Triops cancriformis (Notostraca) and associated phyllopods from the Vosges region (eastern France)

Abstract

AbstractNotostracan branchiopods reported from the Lower Triassic Voltzia Sandstone Lagerstätte in northeastern France have previously been assigned to Triops cancriformis, making this species the longest persisting animal in earth history. Careful restudy of the splendidly preserved material indicates that the species can be well characterized but represents a notostracan genus and species that cannot be assigned to the Triopsidae. This undermines the concept of its being a ‘living fossil’. The name Apudites antiquus, under which the first known specimens were described, is available and appropriate for the species. Some of the specimens of Apudites antiquus offer morphological details of a quality that ranks them among the best‐preserved fossil non‐marine arthropods. The Voltzia Sandstone specimens previously assigned to the extant species T. cancriformis include two additional, peculiar diplostracan branchiopods, Olesenocaris galli gen. et sp. nov. and Grauvogelocaris alsatica gen. et sp. nov., both with unique morphological features that characterize them as representatives of as yet unknown families.