DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4fj7r
title: Data from: Comparative experimental taphonomy of eight marine arthropods indicates distinct differences in preservation potential

description: Global biodiversity patterns in deep time can only be understood fully
 when the relative preservation potential of each clade is known. The
 relative preservation potential of marine arthropod clades, a diverse and
 ecologically important component of modern and past ecosystems, is poorly
 known. We tackled this issue by carrying out a 205-day long comprehensive,
 comparative, taphonomic experiment in a laboratory by scoring up to ten
 taphonomic characters for multiple specimens of seven crustacean and one
 chelicerate species (two true crabs, one shrimp, one lobster, one hermit
 crab, one stomatopod, one barnacle and one horseshoe crab). Although the
 results are preliminary because we used a single experimental setup and
 algal growth partially hampered observations, some parts of hermit crabs,
 stomatopods, swimming crabs and barnacles decayed slowly relative to other
 parts, implying differential preservation potentials within species,
 largely consistent with the fossil record of these groups. An inferred
 parasitic isopod, manifested by a bopyriform swelling within a hermit crab
 carapace, decayed relatively fast. We found limited variation in the decay
 rate between conspecifics, and we did not observe size-related trends in
 decay rate. Conversely, substantial differences in the decay rate between
 species were seen after c. 50 days, with shrimps and stomatopods decaying
 fastest, suggesting a relatively low preservation potential, whereas the
 lobster, calico crabs, horseshoe crabs and barnacles showed relatively
 slow decay rates, suggesting a higher preservation potential. These
 results are supported by two modern and fossil record-based preservation
 potential metrics that are significantly correlated to decay rate ranks.
 Furthermore, we speculate that stemward slippage may not be ubiquitous in
 marine arthropods. Our results imply that diversity studies of true crabs,
 lobsters, horseshoe crabs and barnacles are more likely to yield patterns
 that are closer to their true biodiversity patterns than those for
 stomatopods, shrimps and hermit crabs.
description: Movie S1 Stomatopod
 collapse Klompmaker et al 2017Table S1. metadata full
 experiment Klompmaker et al 2017Table S1 metadata full
 experiment Klompmaker et al
 2017.xlsxTable S2. Measurements
 specimens. Klompmaker et al 2017Table S2 measurements
 Klompmaker et al 2017.xlsxTable S3. Full
 experiment data. Klompmaker et al 2017 finalTable S3 full experiment data
 Klompmaker et al 2017
 revised.xlsxFigure
 S1Figure S1. Soft tissue
 presence per species per specimen.Figure
 S2Figure S2. Cuticle
 colouration per species per specimen.Figure
 S3Figure S3. Separation
 abdomen and carapace per species per specimen.Figure
 S4Figure S4. Carapace
 completeness per species per specimen.Figure
 S5Figure S5. Carapace
 translucency per species per specimen.Figure
 S6Figure S6. Claw
 completeness per species per specimen.Figure
 S7Figure S7. (Other)
 Appendage completeness per species per specimen.Figure
 S8Figure S8. Appendage
 translucency per species per specimen.Figure
 S9Figure S8. Abdomen
 completeness per species per specimen.Figure
 S10Figure S10. Telson
 completeness per species per specimen.