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Fossil of P. pustulosus at the Jura Museum

Pseudastacus is an extinct genus of decapod crustaceans that lived during the Jurassic period in Europe, and possibly the Cretaceous period in Lebanon. Reaching up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in total length, Pseudastacus had a crayfish-like build, with long antennae, a triangular rostrum and a frontmost pair of appendages enlarged into pincers, with those of females being more elongated. There is evidence of possible gregarious behavior in P. lemovices in the form of multiple individuals preserved alongside each other, possibly killed in a mass mortality event. With the oldest known record dating to the Sinemurian age of the Early Jurassic, and possible species surviving into the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, Pseudastacus has a long temporal range and was a widespread taxon. Fossils of this animal were first found in the Solnhofen Limestone of Germany, but have also been recorded from France, England and Lebanon. All species in this genus lived in marine habitats. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Digitally-printed minidresses by Alexander McQueen

... that Alexander McQueen pioneered the use of digitally engineered prints in fashion with Natural Dis-tinction Un-natural Selection (method pictured)?
... that the box of Burgle Bros 2 transforms into a two-layer game board?
... that Sydney Agudong and her sister were the final two candidates for a role in Lilo & Stitch?
... that Charles Moses competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics, despite previously fabricating claims of his Olympic participation?
... that the 1956 album Lonnie Donegan Showcase entered both the UK albums chart and the UK singles chart?
... that every team on which Bob Kercher played for seven years went undefeated?
... that to comply with broadcasting regulations, some American TV stations claimed that tabloid shows and a Christmas special were educational?
... that film director James Ashcroft enjoys "playing in the dark"?
... that a 1994 paper tried to claim ancient Babylonian astronomy as a new discovery in diabetes care?

In the news

Explosions in Tehran

Israel launches multiple airstrikes (aftermath pictured) against Iran's nuclear program and senior military leadership.
Air India Flight 171 crashes in Ahmedabad killing more than 260 people.
The Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson dies at the age of 82.
A shooting at a secondary school in Graz, Austria, leaves eleven people dead.
At the Tony Awards, Purpose wins the Best Play and Maybe Happy Ending wins the Best Musical.

On this day

June 14

Killing of Sudbury and Hales

1381 – During the Peasants' Revolt in England, rebels stormed the Tower of London, killing Simon Sudbury, Lord Chancellor, and Robert Hales, Lord High Treasurer (both pictured).
1644 – First English Civil War: Prince Maurice abandoned his siege of Lyme Regis in Dorset after learning of the approach of a Parliamentarian relief force.
1934 – The landmark Australian Eastern Mission concluded after a three-month diplomatic tour of East and South-East Asia.
2014 – War in Donbas: An Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force was shot down by forces of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic, killing all 49 people on board.

Qalaherriaq (d. 1856)
Emmeline Pankhurst (d. 1928)
Heike Friedrich (b. 1976)
Moon Tae-il (b. 1994)

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Today's featured picture

The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus. The name also applies to the plant itself. Raspberry plants are perennial with woody stems. It is an aggregate fruit, developing from the numerous distinct carpels of a single flower. Originally occurring in East Asia, the raspberry is now cultivated across northern Europe and North America and is eaten in a variety of ways including as a whole fruit and in preserves, cakes, ice cream and liqueurs. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber.

Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus

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