Parasites are very common today and are an important part of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. They also have been found in the fossil record, but their small size and soft body make their preservation a rarity. Some parasites leave a trace indicating their presence on or within the host, even if the parasite itself is not preserved.  One example are traces made by epicaridean isopod parasites in decapod crustacean hosts such as crabs, shrimps, and lobsters. These isopod parasites can […]

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Most animals and plants never fossilize. For those that do, it’s usually only hard parts such as bones and shells that preserve. However, in some exceptional cases, soft tissues such as muscles and gills survive the fossilization process and can present a wealth of information about the biology and ecology of ancient organisms. In a recently published paper in Palaeontologia Electronica, Dr. Adiel Klompmaker (UA Museums’ Curator of Paleontology) and colleagues reported on a remarkable crab with multiple mineralized soft […]

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For Kevin Kocot’s team, things were busy, but successful and fun on the Nathaniel B. Palmer in Eastern Antarctica!

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Insects of North America is a field guide that enables you to identify all 783 families of insects currently recognized in the United States and Canada!

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