Melissa G.

Inte Geology 1 MHU1

2016-89201 August 2021

Activity 2: Interpreting the Fossil Record

[Fossil Species]
Attenborolimulus superspinosus, fossil crab found by the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough
where the fossil got its name.

[Photo]

Locality:
[Describe where its fossil was first found, or where they are abundant.]

According to Katrina Kenny, author of the horseshoe crab, its live along East coast of
North America, as well as the coasts of China, India, Indonesia and Japan

Epoch/ period/ era:

[Indicate the time it lived.]

During research trips of the paleontologists, Attenborolimulus superspinosus lived at the end of the
Paleozoic and the beginning of the Triassic or from the early part of the Middle Triassic.

Insights from morphological characteristics:

[Describe what its morphological characteristics suggest about the environment and the time it
lived in.]

- In honour of the great naturalist, its name is followed by Sir David Attenborough in
which they describe horseshoe crabs and suggest it as almost exclusively marine
animals. It is a unique austrolimulid because of its spines in the head section.
Interestingly, horseshoe crabs differs in other ways like “evidence of worms and other
arthropods having lived on top of the horseshoe crabs makes the researchers think they
may have been hosts for other parts of their ecosystem”. In which as per the journal they
may “effectively becoming “micro-habitats” for other species in the Triassic floodplain.”
References:
Kenny, Katrina. “We discovered a new fossil species of horseshoe crab (and named it after David
Attenborough)”. 2021, June 30. The Conversation: Academic Rigour, Journalistic Flair, Australia.
Accessed online. August 2021. Retrieved from We discovered a new fossil species of horseshoe crab
(and named it after David Attenborough) (theconversation.com). Web.

“Breeding habits of Horseshoe Crabs - Insect Worlds - Episode 3 Preview - BBC Four”. 23, March
2013. BBC. Accessed online. August 2021. Retrieved from Breeding habits of Horseshoe Crabs -
Insect Worlds - Episode 3 Preview - BBC Four - YouTube. Web.