Lioestheria Explained

Lioestheria is an extinct genus of clam shrimp that thrived from the Carboniferous to the Cretaceous (360.7 to 99.7 Mya). They fed on detritus, being very small slow moving, nektonic organisms that filter fed as they floated. They have been found in both marine and freshwater environments.

First identified in 1912,^[1] they have been found in Germany,^[2] Hungary, Colorado,^{[3] [4]} New Mexico, Montana, Texas,^[5] Utah and China.^[6]

There are two species:

• Lioestheria monticula
• Lioestheria carinacurvata^[7]

Notes and References

1. Depéret, Ch, and P. Mazeran. "Les Estheria du Permien d'Autun." Société d'Histoire Naturalle d'Autun, Bulletin 25 (1912): 165-174.
2. D.S. Berman, S.S. Sumida, and T. Martens. 1998. Diadectes (Diadectomorpha: Diadectidae) from the Early Permian of Central Germany, with description of a new species. Annals of Carnegie Museum 67(1):53-93
3. J. I. Kirkland and H. J. Armstrong. 1992. Taphonomy of the Mygatt-Moore (M&M) Quarry, middle Brushy Basin Member, Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) western Colorado. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 12(3, suppl.):55A
4. Lucas,S.G. and Kirkland, J.I., 1998. Preliminary report on conchostraca form the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, western United states. Modern Geology, 22, p.415-422.
5. P. Tasch. 1967. Conchostracans from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) Paluxy Formation, Texas. 41(1):256-259
6. Z. Q. Yao, J. T. Xu, Z. G. Zheng, X. H. Zhao, and Z. G. Mou. 1980. Late Permian Stratigraphy and Fossils in Western Guizhou and Eastern Yunnan 1-277
7. Martens . Thomas . Lucas . Spencer . 2005 . TAXONOMY AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF CONCHOSTRACA (BRANCHIOPODA, CRUSTACEA) FROM TWO NONMARINE PENNSYLVANIAN AND LOWER PERMIAN LOCALITIES IN NEW MEXICO . New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science . 30 . 208-213 .