NEW PYGOCEPHALOMORPH (PERACARIDA) FROM THE PERMIAN OF THE SOSIO VALLEY (SICILY, ITALY)

Sosiocaris schrami n. gen. n. sp., is described from the Permian Sosio Limestone (Lercara Formation) of the Sosio Valley, Palermo Province, Italy. Sosiocaris schrami is attributed to Pygocephalomorpha incertae sedis. The brachyuran-like carapace morphology of S. schrami suggests that its overall morphology might have been convergent on that of brachyurans, an evolutionary trend that has also been observed in other pygocephalomorphs. Sosiocaris schrami represents the first occurrence of a pygocephalomorph from the Sosio Limestone, an assemblage of Permian-aged limestone olistoliths from which several unusual crustaceans have been described.