Carpopenaeus shrimps

The specimen originates from the famous Sannine Formation of Lebanon, a site of exceptional fossil preservation.
The preservation quality found here is due to the unique environment of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Organisms that died would sink to an oxygen-starved (anoxic) seafloor, where decomposition was inhibited. They were then rapidly buried in fine-grained sediments, allowing for the meticulous preservation of even delicate structures like antennae and fine appendages.

This specific find is a matrix with two Carpopenaeus shrimps. The presence of two specimens on the same slab provides a valuable natural association, suggesting they were buried together in a rapid deposition event. These ancient shrimp specimens are crucial for tracing the evolutionary lineage of modern shrimp species.