FIRST RECORD OF SPINICAUDATAN FAUNA (CRUSTACEA-DIPLOSTRACA) FROM THE LAS HOYAS EARLY CRETACEOUS (CUENCA, SPAIN)

GALLEGO, OSCAR F.; BUSCALONI, A.; MONFERRAN, M.D.; ZACARIAS, IRACEMA

Riberao Preto

Congreso; XXV Congreso Brasilero de Paleontología; 2017

Sociedade Brasileira de Paleontología

Las Hoyas is one of best known Konservat Lagerstätte worldwide, with a diverse fossil record ranging from bacteria to dinosaurs. The biodiversity of this site recently improved with the re-discovery at the Castilla-La Mancha Natural Sciences Museum (Cuenca, Spain) of several individuals of three spinicaudatan species found at the Las Hoyas carbonatic limestones in different stratigraphic levels. The spinicaudatans recorded correspond to members of the superfamiliesAfrograptioidea and Eosestherioidea, and to the Family Anthronestheriidae. The most relevant specimen belongs to Afrograptidae probably related to the genusGraptoestheriella. This family has a short stratigraphic span, ranging from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous of Africa, Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil, and recently its distribution has extended to the Early Cretaceous of England and now Spain. This group encourages the revision of the species dispersions along the Gondwana break up and Laurasia. Also, the species would have a great biostratigraphic impact as a fossil guide. The other taxa do not have a minor palaeontological impact because they are important components of the Jurassic-Cretaceous biota from China and Asia. Other consequences of these interesting fauna, not explored yet, are their palaeoenvironmental and palaeocological significance according to the vertical distribution of these three forms in the locality.