[Palaeontology, Vol. 56, Part 3, 2013, pp. 615–630] AN APPRAISAL OF THE FOSSIL RECORD FOR THE CIROLANIDAE (MALACOSTRACA: PERACARIDA: ISOPODA: CYMOTHOIDA), WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A NEW CIROLANID ISOPOD CRUSTACEAN FROM THE EARLY MIOCENE OF THE VIENNA BASIN (WESTERN CARPATHIANS) by MATU´ Sˇ HYZˇ NY´ 1*, NIEL L. BRUCE2,3 and JA´ NSCHLO¨ GL1 1Department of Geology and Paleontology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Mlynska´ dolina G1, SK-84215 Bratislava, Slovakia; e-mail:
[email protected],
[email protected] 2Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum and School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, 70–102 Flinders Street, Townsville 4810, Australia; e-mail:
[email protected] 3Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa *Corresponding author. Typescript received 2 May 2012; accepted in revised form 26 October 2012 Abstract: Isopod crustaceans are rarely preserved in the the mode of preservation suggests a rather short time fossil record. Herein, an appraisal of the fossil record for the between shedding the posterior and anterior parts of the cirolanid isopods is presented. Five genera are briefly dis- exoskeleton instead of hours or even days known in extant cussed, including Bathynomus, Brunnaega, Palaega, Pseudo- taxa. As no subsequent transport or physical disturbance was palaega and Cirolana. A key for the cirolanid genera known inferred, the specimens can be stated as in situ preservation. to date from the fossil record is provided based mostly on From the palaeoecological point of view, it is concluded that pleotelson characters. From the early Miocene of the Slovak Cirolana feldmanni sp.