Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

5,000 year-old spermatozoa in Quaternary Ostracoda (Crustacea)

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Naturwissenschaften Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Fossil spermatozoa are recorded for the first time in freshwater ostracods (small bivalved crustaceans) from Holocene sediments at sites in the United Kingdom and Germany. Exceptional conditions at these sites have resulted in the preservation of chitinous "soft parts", including limbs, the remains of Zenker's Organs (sperm pumps that are part of the male reproductive apparatus in cypridoidean ostracods) and spermatozoa from eight different species. Comparisons are made with spermatozoa from living ostracods and the implications of these discoveries for evolutionary studies of reproductive modes are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 10, 80333 Munich, Germany, , , , ,

    Renate Matzke-Karasz

  2. 11 Mundi Crescent, Newmachar, Aberdeenshire, AB21 0LY, UK, , , , ,

    David C. Horne

  3. Institut für Mineralogie, Petrologie und Geochemie, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, 72074 Tübingen, Germany, , , , ,

    Horst Janz

  4. Department of Geography, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Kingston-upon-Hull HU6 7RX, UK, , , , ,

    Huw I. Griffiths

  5. Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Biology, University of Hull, Kingston-Upon-Hull HU6 7RX, UK, , , , ,

    William F. Hutchinson

  6. Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK, , , , ,

    Richard C. Preece

Authors
  1. Renate Matzke-Karasz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David C. Horne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Horst Janz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Huw I. Griffiths
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. William F. Hutchinson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Richard C. Preece
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Accepted in revised form: 21 April 2001

Electronic Publication

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Matzke-Karasz, R., Horne, D.C., Janz, H. et al. 5,000 year-old spermatozoa in Quaternary Ostracoda (Crustacea). Naturwissenschaften 88, 268–272 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s001140100234

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s001140100234

Keywords

Search

Navigation