C.E. Schweitzer, R.M. Feldmann, J. Fam, W.A. Hessin, S.W. Hetrick, T.G. Nyborg, R.L.M. Ross Cretaceous and Eocene Decapod Crustaceans from Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Annotation

A large collection of fossil decapod crustaceans from Cretaceous and Eocene rocks of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, has yielded a remarkably diverse fauna. The Cretaceous decapod fauna, including previously described and new taxa, contains 17 genera in 14 families, represented by as many as 22 species. The Eocene fauna is less robust, with 7 species and 6 genera in 6 families. This publication includes one new family; three new genera; eight new species; and nine new combinations. The decapod fauna of the Nanaimo Group supports a position for Wrangellia well north of the current position of Baja California, Mexico. The decapod fauna of the Western Interior of North America is distinct from that of west coastal North America, suggesting limited faunal exchange between the two areas.