A NEW SPECIES OF LATE CRETACEOUS CRAB (BRACHYURA, CARCINERETIDAE) FROM ALBION ISLAND, BELIZE

A new species of carcineretid crab, Carcineretes planetarius, is descr ibed from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Maastrichtian) Barton Creek Dolo mite at Albion Island, Belize. The age is based on the stratigraphic r ange of associated nerineid gastropods and correlation with nannoplank ton, benthic foraminifera, and the other known congeneric species of c rab found in Jamaica. Confirmation of this age aids in constraining th e timing of ejecta deposits of the Chicxulub impact found at the top o f Barton Creek Dolomite exposed on Albion Island. Paleoenvironmental a nd paleoecological analyses suggest that these crabs were swimmers in lagoonal settings, capable of burrowing a few centimeters into the mud for protection.