OLDER THAN THE ATLANTIC-OCEAN - DISCOVERY OF A FRESH-WATER MICROCERBERUS (ISOPODA) IN NORTH-AMERICA AND ERECTION OF COXICERBERUS, NEW GENUS

The first fresh-water microcerberid isopod (Isopoda: Asellota) from th e United States is reported from wells in South Carolina (Microcerberu s carolinensis, new species). The closest relatives occur in southeast ern Europe and belong to a distinct fresh-water clade with triramous p leopod 4 (genus Microcerberus sensu stricto), a group which must be ol der than the Atlantic Ocean. Reconstructed evolution of morphology ind icates that the fresh-water microcerberids are the more primitive ones . For the more derived coastal mesopsammal species, the new genus Coxi cerberus is proposed.