The crab – only about half the size of a thumbnail – unwittingly become entombed in tree sap.
It’s not unusual to findall manner of insect and plant life encased within amber.
Ancient flies, mosquitoes andeven tardigradeshave been discovered within the hardened sap.
A mostly aquatic creature?
That makes Cretapsara an important find, potentially bridging the evolutionary gap between marine and non-marine crabs.
The diminutive size of the crustacean suggests it may be a juvenile from an amphibious species.
However it got there, paleontologists are now reaping the rewards, pulling back the curtain on crab evolution.
“This is a big moment for crabs.”
