Ephippia of the Daphniidae (Branchiopoda: Cladocera) in Late Caenozoic deposits: Untapped source of information for palaeoenvironment reconstructions in the Northern Holarctic

Abstract

© INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY, 2019. Cladoceran remains, mostly ephippia of the Daphniidae (Crustacea: Branchiopoda), are widespread in the permafrost deposits of Northern Eurasia. We may expect their presence in all types of Quaternary deposits from all regions of the permafrost zone. Cladoceran remains could be used for reconstruction of the past environment, climate and condition of the sediment accumulation, and cladoceran analysis could potentially be widely applied in Quaternary ecology. Moreover, resting eggs of Daphnia and other cladocerans could be good material for DNA studies and even hatching of specimens. Therefore, the ephippia could potentially be an important source of quantitative information for palaeoecological reconstructions. But for such efforts they need to be studied specially instead of as a byproduct of palaeoentomological or palaeobotanical studies. Moreover, special studies of recent taxa aiming to elucidate their identification based on ephippia are needed urgently. The impetus for this paper is to attract the attention of the Quaternary science community to ephippia as a new source of information about the past of inland waters.