We returned last week to Germany’s stunning Jurassic Solnhofen limestone. I gave you the somewhat useless hint that I wouldn’t ever eat one of these creatures, let alone their extant relatives. The reason? I do not eat invertebrates. I find them downright terrifying when they are dead and being eaten. Living? No problem. Dead and on ice? Puke-city. I honestly do not know where this aversion/phobia came from, but I’ve had it as long as I can remember. I once found myself at a lobster-bake wedding and thought I was going to faint. I had to hide out with the kids who were all eating PB&J.
Anyway. What is this gorgeous but never-to-be-eaten critter? It’s a shrimp! Aeger tipularis, to be exact. Congratulations to John Harshman, who got the genus, which is close enough, I think! He thinks he cheated by Googling, but I disagree—research is allowed! Plus, it makes me feel a little less inferior to everyone's collective fossil-identifying skills!
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email or Tweet me @keeps3.
