Fossil Prawn | Acanthochirana cordata | Germany

Acanthochirana cordata MuensterUpper Jurassic (~155-150 MYO)Solnhofen LimestoneEichstätt, Germany Prawn approx. size: 2" Antennae to tail approx. size: 5.5" Matrix approx. size: 8" x 6.75" This beautiful, aesthetic and well preserved fossil prawn comes from the famous Solnhofen lithographic limestone, in Eichstätt, Germany. This specimen has had minimal restoration. This particular region is home to some of the world's most key fossil discoveries, including Archaeopteryx, the oldest bird fossil to have been found by paleontologists.   Acanthochirana cordata is an extinct species of prawn from the family Aegeridae, known from the Jurassic period. This decapod crustacean is well-documented from the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany, a famous Lagerstätte that preserved its fine morphological details due to exceptional fossilization conditions in a low-oxygen marine environment. This species inhabited shallow marine environments, likely in lagoonal or reef-associated settings. Given its morphology, it is thought to have been a scavenger or detritivore, feeding on organic particles in the water or soft sediment. It likely played a role in Jurassic marine food webs, serving as prey for fish and other predators. The exceptional preservation of Acanthochirana cordata in the Solnhofen deposits provides valuable insight into the diversity of Jurassic crustaceans. Soft-tissue preservation in some specimens has helped paleontologists better understand the evolutionary history of decapod crustaceans.