Contributions to Zoology, 72 (2-3) 135-136 (2003)

SPB Academic Publishing bv, The Hague

First record of and from the Upper

(Upper Maastrichtian) of NW Madagascar

Alessandro Garassino¹ & Giovanni Pasini²

1Dipartimento di Paleontologia degli Invertebrati, Museo civico di Storia naturale, C.so Venezia 55, 1-20121

2 Milano, Italy; Museo Civico dei Fossili di Besano, Via Prestini 5, 1-21050 Besano (Varese), Italy

Keywords:: Crustacea, , Cretaceous, Madagascar

Abstract Results

The from the marine BerivotraFormation, dated as To date, the sole study of decapod faunas from the late Cretaceous, from 50 km south of Mahajanga, Madagascar Cretaceous ofMadagascar is that by Secretan (1964), Two contains macrurans, brachyurans and thalassinideans. bra- who described material from the Lower and Middle chyuran families, Raninidae and , were previously Cretaceous ofthe Basin and the Analalava with the Titano- Sitampiky identified genera Notopocorystes, Caloxanthus, area and from the Cretaceous of the Menabe carcinus, Xanthosia, and Dromiopsis. Fragmentarymaterial now Upper

also allows and the recognition of Dromioidea, Calappoidea and Mangoky-Onihaly areas (SW Madagascar). She

Xanthoidea. listed thalassinideans. macrurans, brachyurans and

Two brachyuran families (Raninidae, Dynomenidae)

were identified from the Lower and Middle Creta- Introduction ceous, with Notopocorystes, Xanthosia (sic; com-

pare Secretan, 1964) and Dromiopsis, while the The present sample originates from the vicinity of Upper Cretaceous strata yielded raninids ((Notopo- the village of Berivotra, c. 50 km south of the city corystes), dynomenids, xanthids ((Xanthosia, Calo- ofMahajanga, NationalRoad 4 towards Anta- along xanthus, Titanocarcinus) as well as an unidentified

nanarivo, NW Madagascar. This area is usually xanthid.

referred to as the ‘Mahajanga Basin’ (Besairie, The present sample comprises a total of 191 1972). The specimens surface finds, from represent specimens, consisting of cheliped fragments, mostly the eroded sides of low hills 250 m not exceeding dactyli and fixed fingers. The absence of complete in Berivotra height, situated to the east and west of chelae be ascribed to rather may possibly decay and close to its to the west of the vil- cemetery, than to transport, which determines the degree of lage. fragmentation and disarticulation after several

The material studied comes from the marine Beri- weeks, as pointed out by Allison (1990). Since the

votra datedas late Cretaceous Maas- Formation, (late specimens are fragmentary, they can only be as- trichtian) (Krause & Hartman, 1996; Krause et ah, signed to larger groups; only in a few cases was it 1997, 1999). The lower of this unit is charac- part possible to identify them to lower taxonomic lev- terized rich of and ostreid by a assemblage grypheid els with by comparison already known gen- bivalves, decapod crustaceans, shark teeth, teleost era. The material represents the Calappoidea and

fragments, and interambulacral plates and primary Dromioidea, both recorded for the first time from

s Pmes of regular echinoids. The portion yields upper the Cretaceous of Madagascar (Fig. 1). In addition, a fauna bivalves, neogastropods, cepha- comprising we have numerous specimens referred to as Xan- lopods, echinoderms and fish. chondrichthyan thoidea et and three f (fam. gen. sp. indet.) groups isolated cheliped elements ((incertae sedis). 136 A. Garassino & G. Pasini - from the Cretaceous of Madagascar

outer - Fig. I. A - Dromioidea indet., fixed finger ofright chela (occludent view, and inner surfaces, respectively); B Calappoidea

indet., dactylus ofright chela (occludent view, outer and inner surfaces, respectively).

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