SYSTEMATICS AND PALEOECOLOGY OF MIOCENE PORTUNID AND CANCRID DECAPOD FOSSILS FROM THE ST. MARYS FORMATION, MARYLAND A thesis submitted To Kent State University in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Heedar Bahman August, 2018 © Copyright All rights reserved Except for previously published materials Thesis written by Heedar Bahman B.S., Kuwait University, 2011 M.S., Kent State University, 2018 Approved by Rodney M. Feldmann , Ph.D., Advisor Daniel Holm , Ph.D., Chair, Department of Geology James L. Blank , Ph.D., Dean, College of Arts and Sciences TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... viii SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................2 GEOLOGICAL SETTING ..................................................................................................5 METHODS ..........................................................................................................................7 SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY ...................................................................................8 DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................27 CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................32 APPENDIX ........................................................................................................................33 FIGURES ...........................................................................................................................34 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................52 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-2126 ........................................................................34 2 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4310 ........................................................................34 3 n. sp. 1, ventral view, CMM-I-4310 ......................................................................34 4 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4305 ........................................................................35 5 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-2987 ........................................................................35 6 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-3833 ........................................................................35 7 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4306 ........................................................................36 8 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-3657 ........................................................................36 9 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4307 ........................................................................36 10 n. sp. 1, ventral view, CMM-I-4307 ......................................................................37 11 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-3806 ........................................................................37 12 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-3970 ........................................................................37 13 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-3796 ........................................................................38 14 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4311 ........................................................................38 15 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-2863 ........................................................................38 16 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-3954 ........................................................................39 17 n. sp. 1, ventral view, CMM-I-3954 ......................................................................39 18 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4309B .....................................................................39 iv 19 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4309A .....................................................................40 20 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4308 ........................................................................40 21 n. sp. 1, dorsal view, CMM-I-4312 ........................................................................40 22 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-231 ....................................................41 23 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-231 ...................................................41 24 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4317 ..................................................41 25 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-4317 .................................................42 26 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4313 ..................................................42 27 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-4313 .................................................42 28 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4318 ..................................................43 29 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-4318 .................................................43 30 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4320 ..................................................43 31 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-4320 .................................................44 32 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4319 ..................................................44 33 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-4319 .................................................44 34 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4314 ..................................................44 35 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-4314 .................................................45 36 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-3920 ..................................................45 37 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-3920 .................................................45 38 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4316 ..................................................46 v 39 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-4316 .................................................46 40 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-4043 ..................................................46 41 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-2941 ..................................................47 42 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-2941 .................................................47 43 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-3931 ..................................................47 44 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-3931 .................................................47 45 Necronectes drydeni, dorsal view, CMM-I-3996 ..................................................48 46 Necronectes drydeni, ventral view, CMM-I-3996 .................................................48 47 Cancer borealis, dorsal view, CMM-I-2796 .........................................................48 48 Cancer irroratus, dorsal view, CMM-I-2616 ........................................................48 49 n. sp. 2, dorsal view, barnacles attached to the left side of the carpace, CMM-I-4014 ..........................................................................................................49 50 n. sp. 2, ventral view, showing the left cheliped, CMM-I4014 .............................49 51 Callinectes sapidus., dorsal view, CMM-I-3688 ...................................................50 52 Callinectes sapidus, ventral view, female pleon, CMM-I-3688 ............................50 53 Callinectes sapidus., dorsal view, CMM-I-3688 ...................................................51 54 Calinectes sapidus., ventral view, immature female pleon, CMM-I-3688 ............51 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Measurements for n. sp. 1 ......................................................................................33 2 Measurements for Necronectes drydeni .................................................................33 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all those who helped, supported and guided me through my master’s program and research. First and foremost I would like to thank my advisor Rodney Feldmann for guiding me through my thesis research, helping me on a personal level when I first arrived to the United States, supporting me emotionally and answering every question I had. He provided me with knowledge and means for success. I would like to thank John Nance from Calvert Marine Museum Solomons, Maryland for providing the fossils. Special thanks goes to my committee members Carrie Schweitzer and Neil Wells for taking the time to teach me. I would also like to thank the administrative secretary of Geology Department, Kelly Thomasson. My utmost gratitude goes to my mother and wife for supporting me and being part of my journey in the last two years. viii SUMMARY A collection of decapod fossils from the Miocene St. Marys Formation, Little Cove Point Member, was examined. Three different genera were recognized, Necronectes A. Milne Edwards, 1881, Callinectes Stimpson, 1860, and Cancer Linnaeus, 1758, comprising 6 species. Cancer included 4 species, Cancer irroratus Say,