Name: Palaeocaris typus
Subphylum: Crustacea; Class Maxillopoda; Subclass Eumalacostraca; Superorder: Syncarida
Geological Time: Pennsylvanian (~300 m.y.a.)
Size : 25 mm long in a 35 mm by 30 mm and 33 mm by 25 mm nodule
Fossil Site: Mazon Creek, Pit 11, Francis Creek shale, Morris, Illinois (Mazon Creek)
 Description:
The Mazon Creek deposits of the region near Braidwood, Illinois rival
the other famous Lagerstatten of the Burgess Shale, Solnhofen, and
Liaoning for the variety of detailed life preserved. Many exquisitely
preserved specimens are found in the ironstone nodules that make up
the Mazon Creek Lagerstatte. The majority of collecting areas are
the spoil heaps of abandoned coal mines, the most famous of which
is Peabody Coal Pit 11 from which this particular fossil was recovered.
Pit 11 now serves as a cooling pond for the Braidwood nuclear power
plant, but with over 100 other localities, specimens still come to
light. This specimen is of a genus that is typically poorly preserved
in the Essex fauna, making this an unusual specimen. |
