Information on stomatopods

[Gonodactylus]

In case anyone is interested, as part of the University of California Museum of Paleontology website, we put up some information on Arthropods including a few of my pictures of stomatopods. You can find a portal at:

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/arthropoda/crustacea/malacostraca/eumalacostraca/stomatopoda.html

You may have to hunt around a bit to find all of the material, but some of it I have not used before including the O. sycllarus with all of its appendages laid out.

Roy

[T-T-Trigger]

good stuff, thanks.

[biomekanic]

Very cool, thanks for posting that.

[goblinsharkman]

cool, i want a mantis shrimp fossil :P

[Gonodactylus]

The only material that is fairly common and not expensive comes from Lebanon and is about 100 millions years old. They are almost all one species of Pseudosculda, and extinct lineage. It appears that these animals burrowed in sandy mud and were occasionally exposed to lethal heat or fresh water. When this happened, they fled their burrows and were killed on the surface, then buried and preserved. It is not uncommon to find more than one preserved on the same slab. I've seen decent specimens for sale for under $50.

[biomekanic]

That's not a bad price at all, I've seen fossils at rock shows for a lot more than that, heck, I've seen fossils for sale for more than the house I bought. Is there someone specifically dealing in them?

[Gonodactylus]

I try not to promote individuals or companies. There are three or four dealers in the U.S. who specialize in Lebanese invertebrates material. Most of them advertise on Ebay or you can find them by running a search on Goggle.

Roy