Meeting Abstract

P3.112  Saturday, Jan. 5  The Neogene freshwater crabs of Europe (Brachyura, Potamidae) KLAUS, S.*; GROSS, M.; University of Heidelberg, Germany; Sammlung Joanneum, Graz sebastian.klaus@biologie.uni-regensburg.de

Freshwater crabs represent one of the most diverse groups of brachyuran crustaceans. Most of their fossil relatives were found in Neogene sediments of the North-Alpine Foreland Basin and the rim of the Central Paratethys.We recorded all taxonomic data of the fossil freshwater crabs of the European Neogene and recognise seven species that we assign to the genus (i)Potamon(/i). Morphology and biogeography of these fossils led us to contradict former assumptions on a closer relationship with African or Southeast Asian freshwater crabs. We argue for the fossil crabs to be part of the stem-group of the modern European potamids. Based on the last occurence dates of the European freshwater crabs we make an inference on the palaeoclimate during the Miocene climatic optimum.