Taphonomy of aquatic insects from the Crato Formation Lagerstatte (Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) under an actualistic look.

ABSTRACT: The Crato Formation (Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) is a fossiliferous deposit of global significance, representing a lacustrine palaeoenvironment which offers insights into aquatic insect taphonomy. Despite its importance, prior studies lacked an actualistic approach. Here, we analyze the preservation of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and dragonflies (Odonata) from this formation using experimental taphonomy on 253 extant Ephemeroptera and 236 Odonata, alongside 306 fossil specimens. Disarticulation experiments showed that the thorax of modern mayfly larvae disarticulated first, yet Crato Hexagenitidae larvae retained intact thoraces, indicating minimal disturbance and autochthonous deposition. Fossil alate specimens rarely exhibited decay-related wing damage, aligning with short decay times. Dragon

SUBMITTER: Storari AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12425198 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature