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Jiang H, Szwedo J, Labandeira CC, Chen J, Moulds MS, Mähler B, Muscente AD, Zhuo D, Nyunt TT, Zhang H, Wei C, Rust J, Wang B. Mesozoic evolution of cicadas and their origins of vocalization and root feeding. Nat Commun 2024; 15:376. [PMID: 38191461 PMCID: PMC10774268 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Extant cicada (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea) includes widely distributed Cicadidae and relictual Tettigarctidae, with fossils ascribed to these two groups based on several distinct, minimally varying morphological differences that define their extant counterparts. However, directly assigning Mesozoic fossils to modern taxa may overlook the role of unique and transitional features provided by fossils in tracking their early evolutionary paths. Here, based on adult and nymphal fossils from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of Myanmar, we explore the phylogenetic relationships and morphological disparities of fossil and extant cicadoids. Our results suggest that Cicadidae and Tettigarctidae might have diverged at or by the Middle Jurassic, with morphological evolution possibly shaped by host plant changes. The discovery of tymbal structures and anatomical analysis of adult fossils indicate that mid-Cretaceous cicadas were silent as modern Tettigarctidae or could have produced faint tymbal-related sounds. The discovery of final-instar nymphal and exuviae cicadoid fossils with fossorial forelegs and piercing-sucking mouthparts indicates that they had most likely adopted a subterranean lifestyle by the mid-Cretaceous, occupying the ecological niche of underground feeding on root. Our study traces the morphological, behavioral, and ecological evolution of Cicadoidea from the Mesozoic, emphasizing their adaptive traits and interactions with their living environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Paleobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Charles University, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic.
- Section Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, 53115, Germany.
| | - Jacek Szwedo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber Inclusions, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PL80-308, Poland
| | - Conrad C Labandeira
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013, USA
- Department of Entomology and Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000, China
| | - Maxwell S Moulds
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Bastian Mähler
- Section Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, 53115, Germany
| | | | - De Zhuo
- Beijing Xiachong Amber Museum, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Thet Tin Nyunt
- Department of Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar Gems Museum, Nay Pyi Taw, 15011, Myanmar
| | - Haichun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Paleobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Cong Wei
- Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management of the Ministry of Education, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Jes Rust
- Section Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, 53115, Germany
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Paleobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
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