World · Europe · 10 hrs ago
Rare 66-million-year-old crustacean fossil found near Maastricht
A tiny fossil from an extinct crustacean group was found near Maastricht in Limburg, the Netherlands.
The animal lived about 66 million years ago, shortly before the dinosaurs died out.
At just 1.55 millimetres long, it is the only known specimen of its species, named Alsasuacaris dirkeysermansi after the fossil collector who found it.
Researchers say the find matters because only a few dozen Cyclida species are known worldwide.
Scientists still do not know how these animals lived or where they fit in evolutionary history.
They may have lived as parasites on marine reptiles, but researchers say this idea needs more evidence.
The fossil is now on display at the Nationaal Oertijdmuseum, where researchers will also study other material from the quarry and hope to find more specimens.
Researchers have identified a rare fossil from Limburg as a Cyclida, an extinct group of crustaceans that lived shortly before the dinosaurs died out.
The fossil is 1.55 millimetres long and was found in a quarry near Maastricht.
It is the only known specimen of its species, named Alsasuacaris dirkeysermansi after its Belgian finder, Dirk Eysermans.
Researchers say the find is internationally important and may help them investigate the poorly understood group.
The fossil is on display at the Nationaal Oertijdmuseum in Boxtel.
- Who
- Researchers from the Nationaal Oertijdmuseum and Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht studied the fossil. Belgian fossil collector Dirk Eysermans found it.
- What
- They identified it as a Cyclida, an extinct group of crustaceans. The species is named Alsasuacaris dirkeysermansi.
- When
- The animal lived shortly before the dinosaurs became extinct. The study was published on 5 November 2026.
- Where
- The fossil was found in a quarry near Maastricht, in Limburg, the Netherlands.
- Why
- Researchers say the find is significant because only a few dozen Cyclida species are known worldwide, and much about the group remains unclear.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Dirk Eysermans brought the find to the Nationaal Oertijdmuseum.
The study was published in the journal Geodiversitas.
The fossil went on display at the Nationaal Oertijdmuseum.
- Length
- 1.55 millimetres
- Age
- 66 million years
- Discovery site
- Quarry near Maastricht, Limburg
- Species name
- Alsasuacaris dirkeysermansi
- Known specimens of this species
- One
3 sources
What people are saying
extremely rare