Mineralization of soft-part anatomy and invading microbes in the horseshoe crabMesolimulusfrom the Upper Jurassic Lagerstätte of Nusplingen, Germany

Abstract

A remarkable specimen ofMesolimulusfrom the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of Nusplingen, Germany, preserves the musculature of the prosoma and associated microbes in three dimensions in calcium phosphate (apatite). The musculature ofMesolimulusconforms closely to that of modern horseshoe crabs. Associated with the muscles are patches of mineralized biofilm with spiral and coccoid forms. This discovery emphasizes the potential of soft-bodied fossils as a source for increasing our knowledge of the diversity of fossil microbes in particular settings.