What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess the biodiversity of decapod crustaceans through geological time using fossil records.

February 28, 2026Journal of Crustacean Biology1 citationsOpen Access

Benchmarking the global biodiversity of decapod crustaceans in the fossil record

CSCarrie E SchweitzerKent State University SGSAMMY DE GRAVEMuseum of the History of Science MHMatúš HyžnýEarth Science Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

Key Points

To assess the biodiversity of decapod crustaceans through geological time using fossil records.
Utilized the online DecaNet platform and WoRMS for species data
Compiled data from geological ages recorded in the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology
Analyzed biodiversity at species and family levels across historical time periods.
Identified 4,225 species, 1,284 genera, and 193 families of decapod crustaceans in the fossil record
Diversity peaked during the Late Jurassic, Late Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene epochs
Defined distinct decapod faunas for early to late Mesozoic, late Mesozoic and Paleogene, and Cenozoic periods.

Abstract

Abstract An assessment of the biodiversity of decapod crustaceans over geologic time (through 31 December 2024) records 4,225 species, 1,284 genera, and 193 families represented in the fossil record. These figures are derived from the online platform DecaNet, a subsidiary of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) and the geological ages recorded in the Part R, Decapoda Revision of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Phases of discovery of fossil taxa more or less follow the historical time periods as elucidated for extant decapods. Diversity at the species and family level was highest during the Late Jurassic, Late Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene epochs. Distinct decapod faunas can be defined for the early to late Mesozoic, late Mesozoic and Paleogene, and Cenozoic time periods.

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