''Notahomarus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

lobster Lobsters are Malacostraca, malacostracans Decapoda, decapod crustaceans of the family (biology), family Nephropidae or its Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on th ...

belonging to the family

Nephropidae Lobsters are malacostracans decapod crustaceans of the family Nephropidae or its synonym Homaridae. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs have claws, in ...

that is known from fossils found only in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. The type species, ''N. hakelensis'', was initially placed within the genus ''

Homarus ''Homarus'' is a genus of lobsters, which include the common and commercially significant species ''Homarus americanus'' (the American lobster) and '' Homarus gammarus'' (the European lobster). The Cape lobster, which was formerly in this genu ...

'' in 1878, but it was transferred to the genus ''Notahomarus'' in 2017.

Fossil record

These lobsters are related to the modern-day lobsters. They lived in warm, shallow seas during the

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

period (93.9–100.5 m.y.a.). Fossils have been found at fossil sites in

Hjoula Hjoula () is a municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is north of Beirut. Hjoula has an elevation of between above sea level. Hjoula has a total land area of . The village of Hjoula is known for its fertil ...

and

Mayfouq Mayfouq (; ) is a village and municipality in the Byblos District of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 64 km north of Beirut. Mayfouq has an average elevation of 860 meters above sea level and its total land area is 588 hect ...

.Liliana Póvoas, Pedro Danta
"Homarus hakelensis Fraas 1878 and clupeomorph fishes"
in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2017.

Description

''Notahomarus'' could reach a length of about , with antennae.A. Garasson
The macruran decapod crustaceans of the Upper Cretaceous of Lebanon
Paleontologia Lombarda, Nuova Serie - Vol. Ill - Pl. X

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q30693425 Late Cretaceous crustaceans Fossil taxa described in 2017 True lobsters Fossils of Lebanon Cretaceous Lebanon Late Cretaceous arthropods of Asia Prehistoric crustacean genera Monotypic decapod genera