Paleontologists in Sicily have
discovered the fossilized prehistoric ancestor of today's crabs,
according to an article published Wednesday.
Three adult fossilized specimens were found trapped in
limestone in Palermo province in October 2014. They measured one
centimeter in diameter and had five pairs of legs.
Their miniature size likely allowed them to survive a mass
extinction of 96% of marine species and 70% of vertebrate
species that occurred some 250 million years ago, scientists
said.
Paleontologists Gianni Insacco and Agatino Reitano from the
Civic Museum of Natural History in the Sicilian city of Comiso
described their findings in an article on the Journal of
Crustacean Biology.
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