A well‐preserved isopod from the<scp>M</scp>iddle<scp>J</scp>urassic of southern<scp>G</scp>ermany and implications for the isopod fossil record

Abstract

Abstract A new isopod species, E onatatolana geisingensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from M iddle J urassic shallow‐water sediments of southern G ermany. It shows not only the almost completely preserved dorsal morphology but, in addition, details of the cephalic appendages, the pereiopods, pleopods and uropods. The presence of ambulatory pereiopods I – VII of a wide tridentate mandibular incisor with prominently developed posteriormost tooth and a narrow frontal lamina indicates that the new species belongs to the subfamily C onilerinae of family C irolanidae within the suborder C ymothoida. It is closer to the species of the modern genus N atatolana B ruce than to any fossil isopod hitherto described. The isopod fossil record as well as current practices of isopod taxonomy in palaeontology are discussed, and the facies distribution and fossilization of isopods is reviewed with examples from the J urassic.