Calappoidea
Encyclopedia
Calappoidea is a superfamily of crab
s comprising the two families Calappidae
and Matutidae
. The earliest fossil
s attributable to the Callpoidea date from the Aptian
.
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s comprising the two families Calappidae
Calappidae
Calappidae is a family of crabs containing 16 genera, of which 7 are only known as fossils:*Acanthocarpus Stimpson, 1871*Calappa Weber, 1795*† Calappella Rathbun, 1919*† Calappilia A. Milne-Edwards, 1873*Calappula Galil, 1997...
and Matutidae
Matutidae
Matutidae is a family of crabs, sometimes called moon crabs, adapted for swimming or digging. They differ from the swimming crabs of the family Portunidae in that all five pairs of legs are flattened, rather than just the last pair, as in Portunidae...
. The earliest fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s attributable to the Callpoidea date from the Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...
.