Fossil Giant Horseshoe Crab

Fossil Giant Horseshoe Crab (cast)
Limulus giganteus

Horseshoe crabs have changed little in appearance since they first appeared around 450 million years ago and are a good example of a ‘living fossil’. One reason for their success is their armour, which hasn’t changed for hundreds of millions of years. The hard, curved plates protect the soft bodies of the crabs and make it difficult for predators to knock them over and expose their less protected underbellies.

Jurassic, 155 million years ago, Solnhofen, Bavaria, Germany