Original paper

New decapod crustacean assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Chiapas, Mexico

Garassino, Alessandro; Vega, Francisco J.; Calvillo-Canadell, Laura; Cevallos-Ferriz, Sergio R.S.; Coutiño, Marco A.

Abstract

A rich decapod crustacean assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian; Sierra Madre Formation) of El Chango quarry (Chiapas, Mexico) is reported here. Four new genera of shrimps, Zoquepenaeus nov., Tzeltalpenaeus nov. (Penaeidae Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1815), Mexicania nov. (Sicyoniidae Ortmann, 1898), and Mokaya nov. (Sergestidae Dana, 1852) are here described, representing the richest fossil shrimp community from the Mesozoic of the Americas. Moreover, the richness of El Chango assemblage is testified by the discovery of carideans, palinurids, and brachyurans in the study sample. Finally, Mexicania nov. represents the first unequivocal report of Sicyoniidae in the fossil record, extending the stratigraphic range of this family back to the Cenomanian. The systematic position of Sicyonia roemeri (von der Marck, 1858), the only species previously interpreted as belonging to Sicyoniidae is here discussed, pointing out some morphological characters diagnostic of the Penaeidae.

Keywords

crustaceadecapodapenaeoideacarideaachelatabrachyuracenomanianupper cretaceousmexico