Carboniferous Australian Arthropod Trackway with Scurry Marks

Description: This trackway looks like some ascribed to trilobites, but actually may have been made by an arthropod of the family Anaspididae. The extant members of this family are endemic to Tasmania, and have been termed “living fossils”. They are a small (10 mm) freshwater arthropod comprised of 5 species in 3 genera. This one is named for the town located near the quarry from which this example was taken. The detail is quite good, with the specimen affording a most unique opportunity to own a moment in time frozen for nearly 300 million years. Note the scurry marks present as well; perhaps the hapless trackmaker was attempting to elude a predator?