Overview

• The species is formally described as Costacopluma nicksabani in the peer-reviewed journal Geodiversitas.
• UA-led fieldwork in central Alabama recovered about 200 decapod specimens, with the Saban crab the most common find.
• The site preserves eight species including another new crab plus a new burrowing shrimp, making it the most diverse near-post-extinction decapod assemblage at a single North American site.
• Researchers date the fossils to roughly 48–87 million years ago, and the species is believed to have persisted through the impact that ended the age of dinosaurs.
• During ESPN’s College GameDay, Nick Saban reacted to the naming with a smile and said, “Wow, what an honor.”