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Sword crab (Mesolimulus walchi) from Solnhofen, Germany, on Plattenkalk (Jurassic). A complete specimen in very good condition.
Traces of faeces, crawling tracks and manganese dendrites can be seen on the slab. Approximately 150 million years old.
Originally classified within the extant genus Limulus, they are related to and appear almost identical to modern horseshoe crabs. Other species assigned to Mesolimulus have been found over a period of more than 140 million years, from the Middle Triassic to the Late Cretaceous, in England, Germany, Spain, Siberia and Morocco.
Manganese dendrites are clearly visible
Manganese dendrites are thin, branching crystals of manganese oxides that grow across the surface of rocks.
This makes it a unique specimen!
Mesolimulus is an extinct genus of sword-tailed crabs. The best-known specimens have been found in the Solnhofen limestone near Solnhofen in Bavaria, Germany. The famous Archaeopteryx was also found here.