Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T06:51:05.820Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Late Eocene Decapod Crustacea from North Westland, South Island, New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Rodney M. Feldmann  and
Phillip A. Maxwell
Rodney M. Feldmann
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242
Phillip A. Maxwell
Affiliation:
New Zealand Geological Survey, P.O. Box 30 368, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Eight species of brachyuran decapod crustaceans are recorded from coastal outcrops of Island Sandstone between Perpendicular Point and Punakaiki, Westland, New Zealand. The fauna consists of three raninids—Laeviranina pororariensis (Glaessner), L. keyesi n. sp., Lyreidus bennetti n. sp.; two portunids—Rhachiosoma granuliferum (Glaessner), Pororaria eocenica Glaessner; a goneplacid—Carcinoplax temikoensis n. sp.; and two majids—Leptomithrax griffini n. sp., Notomithrax allani n. sp. Together, they form the most diverse brachyuran assemblage yet described from New Zealand. The decapods are preserved in unusual elliptical masses, with their long axes typically parallel to bedding, containing superbly preserved cuticle often surrounded by well-formed fecal pellets, probably of decapod origin. The accumulations are interpreted to be mechanical concentrations within depressions produced by decapods or associated spatangoid echinoids. Although seven of the species have been recorded only from the Island Sandstone, Rhachiosoma granuliferum (Glaessner) is now known to occur in the correlative deep-water facies of the Kaiata Formation in North Westland, as well as in the Tapui Sandstone, North Otago (middle Eocene), and from coeval rocks at Snowdrift Quarry, southeast Otago. The raninids suggest comparison with congeneric forms from Snowdrift Quarry and the Tapui Sandstone, as well as with the La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctica. Based upon associated foraminiferans, a Kaiatan–Runangan (late Eocene) age is assigned to this fauna. The occurrences of Carcinoplax, Leptomithrax, and Notomithrax represent paleobiogeographic and stratigraphic records for the genera.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Paleontology , Volume 64 , Issue 5 , September 1990 , pp. 779 - 797
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bell, T. 1858. A monograph of the fossil malacostracous Crustacea of Great Britain. Part I, Crustacea of the London Clay. Palaeontological Society of London, 44 p.Google Scholar
Bennett, E. W. 1964. The marine fauna of New Zealand: Crustacea Brachyura. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir 22, 120 p.Google Scholar
Beschin, C., Busulini, A., De Angeli, A., and Tessier, G. 1988. Raninidae del terziario Berico-Lessineo. Lavori, Societa Veneziana de Scienze Naturali, 13:155–215.Google Scholar
Beu, A. G., Henderson, R. A., and Nelson, C. S. 1972. Notes on the taphonomy and paleoecology of New Zealand Tertiary Spatangoida. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 15:275–286.Google Scholar
Beu, A. G., Maxwell, P. A., and Brazier, R. C. 1989. Cenozoic Mollusca of New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin 58, 450 p.Google Scholar
Beurlin, K. 1930. Vergleichende Stammesgeschichte Grundlagen, Methoden, Probleme unter besonderer Berucksichtigung der hoheren Krebse. Fortschr. Geologie und Palaeontologie, 8:317–586.Google Scholar
Dana, J. D. 1851. On the classification of the Cancroidea. Silliman's American Journal of Science and Arts, series 2, 12:121–131.Google Scholar
Dana, J. D. 1852. Crustacea. United States Exploring Expedition During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 Under the Command of Charles Wilkes, U.S.N., 13, 1620 p.Google Scholar
Dell, R. K. 1969. A new Pliocene fossil crab of the genus (Trichopeltarion) from New Zealand. Records of the Canterbury Museum, 8:367–371.Google Scholar
Feldmann, R. M. 1984. Haumuriaegla glaessneri n. gen. and sp. (Decapoda; Anomura; Aeglidae) from Haumurian (Late Cretaceous) rocks near Cheviot, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 27:379–385.Google Scholar
Feldmann, R. M. 1986. Paleobiogeography of two decapod crustacean taxa in the Southern Hemisphere: global conclusions with sparse data, p. 5–20. In Gore, R. H. and Heck, K. L. (eds.), Crustacean Biogeography. A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam.Google Scholar
Feldmann, R. M., and Bearlin, R. K. 1988. Linuparus korura n. sp. (Decapoda: Palinura) from the Bortonian (Eocene) of New Zealand. Journal of Paleontology, 62:245–250.Google Scholar
Feldmann, R. M., and Zinsmeister, W. J. 1984. New fossil crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura) from the La Meseta Formation (Eocene) of Antarctica: paleogeographic and biogeographic implications. Journal of Paleontology, 58:1046–1061.Google Scholar
Fleming, C. A. 1981. A new grapsid crab from the upper Miocene of New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 11:103–108.Google Scholar
Glaessner, M. F. 1960. The fossil decapod Crustacea of New Zealand and the evolution of the order Decapoda. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin 31, 79 p.Google Scholar
Glaessner, M. F. 1969. Decapoda, Part R, Arthropoda 4, p. R399–R651. In Moore, R. C. (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Geological Society of America and University of Kansas, Lawrence.Google Scholar
Glaessner, M. F. 1980. New Cretaceous and Tertiary crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura) from Australia and New Zealand. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 104:171–192.Google Scholar
Glaessner, M. F., and Withers, T. H. 1931. On London Clay crabs of the family Raninidae. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 10, 8:484–493.Google Scholar
Griffin, D. J. G. 1963. Notomithrax gen. nov. and the status of the genus Paramithrax H. Milne Edwards (Crustacea, Brachyura, Majidae). Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Zoology, 3:229–237.Google Scholar
Griffin, D. J. G. 1966a. The marine fauna of New Zealand: spider crabs, family Majidae (Crustacea, Brachyura). New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir 35, 111 p.Google Scholar
Griffin, D. J. G. 1966b. A review of the Australian majid spider crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura). Australian Zoologist, 13:259–298.Google Scholar
Griffin, D. J. G. 1970. A revision of the Recent Indo-west Pacific species of the genus Lyreidus De Haan (Crustacea, Decapoda, Raninidae). Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Biological Sciences, 12:89–111.Google Scholar
Griffin, D. J. G., and Tranter, H. A. 1986. The Decapoda Brachyura of the Siboga Expedition, Part VIII, Majidae. Siboga-Expeditie Monographie 39, C4, 335 p.Google Scholar
Guinot, D. 1977. Propositions pour une nouvelle classification des Crustaces Decapodes Brachyoures. Compte Rendu Academie Science de Paris, serie D, 285:1049–1052.Google Scholar
Haan, W. de. 1833-1849. Crustacea, p. 109–164 in 1841. In de Siebold, P. F., Fauna Japonica 4, XVII, XXXI, J. Muller, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Henderson, R. A. 1975. Cenozoic spatangoid echinoids from New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin 46, 127 p.Google Scholar
Henderson, R. A., and Fell, H. B. 1969. Taimanawa, a new genus of brissid echinoids from the Tertiary and Recent Indo-West-Pacific with a review of the related genera Brissopatagus and Gillechinus. Breviora, 320:1–29.Google Scholar
Hornibrook, N. De B. 1958. New Zealand Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary foraminiferal zones and some overseas correlations. Micropaleontology, 4:25–38.Google Scholar
Hyden, F. M., and Forest, J. 1980. An in situ hermit crab from the early Miocene of southern New Zealand. Palaeontology, 23:471–474.Google Scholar
Imiazumi, R. 1960. Phylogeny of Carcinoplax. Scienc. Report of Tohoku University, series 2, Geology, Special Volume, 4:216–222.Google Scholar
Jenkins, R. J. F. 1972. Australian fossil decapod Crustacea: faunal and environmental changes. Unpubl. , , 392 p.Google Scholar
Jenkins, R. J. F. 1974. A new spider-crab from the Miocene of New Zealand. Palaeontology, 17:869–877.Google Scholar
Jenkins, R. J. F. 1985. Fossil spider crabs from Australia. Special Publication of South Australia Department of Mines and Energy, 5:145–165.Google Scholar
Laird, M. G. 1988. Geological Map of New Zealand, 1:63, 360 Sheet S37 Punakaiki. New Zealand Geological Survey, 48 p.Google Scholar
Lorenthey, E., and Beurlen, K. 1929. Dei fossilen Dekapoden der Lander der ungarischen Krone. Mathematischer-Naturwissenshaft Berichte Ungarn, 25:106–152.Google Scholar
Macleay, W. S. 1838. Illustrations of the Annulosa of South Africa. On the brachyurous decapod Crustacea brought from the Cape by Dr. Smith, p. 53–71. In Smith, A., Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa, Invertebratae. London.Google Scholar
Manning, R. B., and Holthuis, L. B. 1981. West African brachyuran crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 306, 379 p.Google Scholar
Maxwell, P. A. 1988. Late Miocene deep-water Mollusca from the Stillwater Mudstone at Greymouth, Westland, New Zealand: paleoecology and systematics. New Zealand Geological Survey Paleontological Bulletin 55, 120 p.Google Scholar
Miers, E. J. 1876. Report on the Brachyura collected by H. M. S. Challenger during the years 1873-1876. Reports of the Scientific Results of the Exploratory Voyage of HMS Challenger, 17(2), 362 p.Google Scholar
Milne Edwards, H. 1852. Observations sur les affinites zoologiques et la classification naturelle des crustaces. Annals de Science Naturelle, Zoologie, series 3, 18:109–166.Google Scholar
Moore, R. C., and Teichert, C. (eds.). 1978. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part T, Echinodermata 2, p. T1–T1027. Geological Society of America and University of Kansas Press, Lawrence.Google Scholar
Nathan, S. G. (ed.). 1974. Outline of the paleontology of the Greymouth district. New Zealand Geological Survey report, 67, 61 p.Google Scholar
Nathan, S. G., et al. 1986. Cretaceous and Cenozoic sedimentary basins of the West Coast Region, SI, New Zealand. New Zealand Geology Survey Basin Studies, 1, 90 p.Google Scholar
Ortmann, A. E. 1893. Die Decapoden-Krebse des Strassburger Museums. VII. Theil. Abtheilung: Brachyura (Brachyura genuina Boas) II. Unterabtheilung: Cancroidea, 2. Section: Cancrinea, 1. Gruppe: Cyclometopa. Zoologischen Jahrbuchern. Abtheilung fur Systematic, Geographie und Biologie der Thiere, 7:411–495.Google Scholar
Rafinesque, C. S. 1815. Analyse de la Nature, ou Tableau de l'Univers et des Corps Organises. Palermo, 224 p.Google Scholar
Rathbun, M. J. 1923. Report on the crabs obtained by the F.I.S. “Endeavour” on the coasts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Biological Results of the Fishing Experiments Carried on the the R.I.S. “Endeavour”—1909-14, 5(3):1–156.Google Scholar
Rathbun, M. J. 1926. The fossil stalk-eyed Crustacea of the Pacific slope of North America. U.S. National Museum Bulletin U.S. National Museum Bulletin, 155 p.Google Scholar
Rathbun, M. J. 1930. The cancroid crabs of America of the families Euryalidae, Portunidae, Atelecyclidae, Cancridae and Zanthidae. U.S. National Museum Bulletin U.S. National Museum Bulletin, 609 p.Google Scholar
Rathbun, M. J. 1937. The oxystomatous and allied crabs of America. U.S. National Museum Bulletin U.S. National Museum Bulletin, 278 p.Google Scholar
Sakai, T. 1976. Crabs of Japan and the Adjacent Seas, 2 Volumes. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo, 773 p.Google Scholar
Samouelle, G. 1819. The Entomologist's Useful Compendium, or an Introduction to the Knowledge of British Insects, etc. London, 496 p.Google Scholar
Srinivasan, M. S. 1965. Studies in late Eocene and early Oligocene Foraminifera of new Zealand. Unpubl. , , 421 p.Google Scholar
Suggate, R. P., Stevens, G. R., and Te Punga, M. T. (eds.). 1978. The Geology of New Zealand. Government Printer Wellington, 2 vols., 820 p.Google Scholar
Waller, T. R. 1972. The functional significance of some shell microstructures in the Pectinacea (Mollusca: Bivalvia). International Geological Congress, 24(Section 7):48–56.Google Scholar
Wellman, H. W., et al. 1973. Stratigraphic columns for the Cretaceous Lower Quaternary sediments of northwest Nelson and the West Coast, South Island. New Zealand Geological Survey Report 67, 94 p.Google Scholar
Williams, A. B. 1984. Shrimps, Lobsters, and Crabs of the Atlantic Coast of the Eastern United States, Maine to Florida. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 550 p.Google Scholar
Woodward, H. 1871. Notes on some new crustaceans from the lower Eocene of Portsmouth. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, 27:90–93.Google Scholar
Woodward, H. 1873. Further notes on Eocene Crustacea from Portsmouth. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, 29:25–31.Google Scholar
Woodward, H. 1876. On a new fossil crab from the Tertiary of New Zealand. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, 32:51–56.Google Scholar
Zinsmeister, W. J., and Feldmann, R. M. 1984. Cenozoic high latitude heterochroneity of Southern Hemisphere marine faunas. Science, 224:281–283.Google Scholar