Dusa monocera

Overview

Dusa monocera is encountered through fossils of a shrimp-like crustacean. A forward-projecting rostrum and claw-bearing legs catch the eye. Explore the ancient shrimp-like form conveyed by a small carapace and appendages.^[1][2]

Key facts

A shed exoskeleton can also become a fossil. The Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History introduces material of this species found at Nusplingen as a very delicate moult. One discarded covering evokes the life of a crustacean that changed its shell as it grew.^[2]

Time and place

Specimen BSPG AS I 966 in the taxonomic reference is a Tithonian fossil from Germany. The Tithonian was near the end of the Late Jurassic. The age and locality attached to the specimen lead to this organism’s ancient setting.^[1]

The time range describes source context, not the complete duration of this species.

Size, form and skeleton

The diagnosis of Dusa explains that the rostrum extends beyond the eyes but not beyond the peduncle of the antennules. The first three pairs of claw-bearing legs become longer and more robust toward the rear, with the third pair described as the longest.^[1]

Habitat and reproduction

The Nusplingen strata preserving the moult of this species formed in a deep lagoon surrounded by islands. Researchers examine fossils of several plants and animals together to study Late Jurassic seascapes and food webs. Discovery of one shell leads to a broader marine story.^[2][3]

Fossil discovery

The species name traces back to Münster’s 1839 description. Research on this old name continues, and the museum introduces a moult discovered at Nusplingen in 2007. Historical taxonomic records and new discoveries accumulate together.^[1][2]

References

1. Treatise Online 174 — Diagnosis of the genus Dusa and specimens of Dusa monocera
2. Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History — Dusa moulted shell from Nusplingen
3. Schweigert·Roth (2021) — The Jurassic lagoon and fossil record of Nusplingen
4. National Museum of Natural History, Paris — Age and locality of specimen A33518 from Eichstätt

Research questions

What features do crustaceans in the genus Dusa share? The taxonomic reference explains that carapace shapes can vary from rectangular to elongated. Comparing the rostrum, carapace, and claw-bearing legs together reveals similarities and differences among comparable fossils.^[1]

Observation

Follow the outline from the rostrum at the front of the head through the carapace and abdomen. Then examine the claws on the front legs. Finding how the lengths and thicknesses of claw-bearing legs differ makes the body structure clearer.^[1]