1
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Chen ZT. The structure of a gilled stonefly larva from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2024; 82:101380. [PMID: 39128279 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2024.101380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Perlidae stands as the most diverse family within Plecoptera, with evidence suggesting possible adaptation to warmer aquatic environments. Tracheal gills are hypothesized to have played a pivotal role in this radiation process. This study presents the description of a fossilized stonefly larva with gills, preserved as a fresh exuvia in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. The larva was classified within the family Perlidae based on distinctive morphological traits, including toothed lacinia and sharp-cusped mandibles, slender palps, glossae shorter than rounded paraglossae, and highly branched gills on the sides and ventral surface of thoracic segments. Additionally, the presence of a transverse, sparse, and irregular setal row on the occiput further indicates classification within the subfamily Acroneuriinae. Notably, the fossilized larva displays striking similarities in gill morphology and distribution to certain extant members within Perlidae, suggesting that these gill structures have an advantage in various aquatic habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Teng Chen
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212004, China.
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2
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Taniguchi R, Grimaldi DA, Watanabe H, Iba Y. Sensory evidence for complex communication and advanced sociality in early ants. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadp3623. [PMID: 38875342 PMCID: PMC11177930 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adp3623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Advanced social behavior, or eusociality, has been evolutionarily profound, allowing colonies of ants, termites, social wasps, and bees to dominate competitively over solitary species throughout the Cenozoic. Advanced sociality requires not just nestmate cooperation and specialization but refined coordination and communication. Here, we provide independent evidence that 100-million-year-old Cretaceous ants in amber were social, based on chemosensory adaptations. Previous studies inferred fossil ant sociality from individual ants preserved adjacent to others. We analyzed several fossil ants for their antennal sensilla, using original rotation imaging of amber microinclusions, and found an array of antennal sensilla, specifically for alarm pheromone detection and nestmate recognition, sharing distinctive features with extant ants. Although Cretaceous ants were stem groups, the fossilized sensilla confirm hypotheses of their complex sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Taniguchi
- Department of Natural History Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - David A Grimaldi
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Hidehiro Watanabe
- Department of Earth System Science, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Fukuoka 814-0180 Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Iba
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
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3
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Gu JJ, Zhou Y, Yuan W. New Genera and Species of Trigonidiidae (Orthoptera: Grylloidea) from the Mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar with a Redescription of Birmaninemobius hirsutus. INSECTS 2024; 15:442. [PMID: 38921157 PMCID: PMC11203462 DOI: 10.3390/insects15060442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
The abundance of insects in Burmese amber illustrates a highly diverse insect community from the mid-Cretaceous period; yet, records of crickets (Grylloidea) are notably scarce. In this study, we describe two new genera with three new species, Palaeotrigonidium concavoculus gen. et sp. nov., Palaeotrigonidium defectivus sp. nov., and Tricalcaratus longilineus gen. et sp. nov., based on three specimens collected in north Myanmar. These new species can be placed within the Trigonidiidae (Orthoptera: Grylloidea) by their triangular head, compound eyes that protrude in dorsal view, and a body entirely covered with robust setae, particularly noticeable in the head and pronotum; however, subfamily assignments are not possible. Another known species, Birmaninemobius hirsutus, Xu et al., 2020, from Myanmar amber is redescribed based on a new specimen and a recheck of the holotype.
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4
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Yang J, Jouault C, Li L, Shih C, Ren D. A New Genus of Praeaulacidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea) from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber: Insights into a Putative New Praeaulacinae Subclade. INSECTS 2024; 15:351. [PMID: 38786907 PMCID: PMC11122205 DOI: 10.3390/insects15050351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
A new praeaulacid genus and species, Azygdellitha nova gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on a male specimen from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from Hukawng Valley, Myanmar. This newly discovered taxon increased the diversity of praeaulacid wasps during the Cretaceous period. While this new taxon shares similarities of wing venation with most species of the subfamily Praeaulacinae, it strongly differs from that of three genera previously described from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber: Mesevania, Paleosyncrasis, and Praegastrinus. We explore the possibility that these genera constitute a distinct tribe within the Praeaulacinae, distinguished by their wing venation. We provide illustrations and emphasize the potentially diagnostic traits supporting this classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingtao Yang
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology, College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Corentin Jouault
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE-PSL, U A, CP50, 45 Rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris, France
- Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier (UMR 5554), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France
- Univ. Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Longfeng Li
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology, College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China
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5
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Brazidec M, Lohrmann V, Perrichot V. The First Cretaceous Epyrine Wasp (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae): A New Genus and Species from Early Cenomanian Kachin Amber. INSECTS 2024; 15:318. [PMID: 38786874 PMCID: PMC11122646 DOI: 10.3390/insects15050318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The Epyrinae are the second largest subfamily of Bethylidae and the most diverse in the fossil record. However, although six of the nine bethylid subfamilies are known during the Cretaceous (either as compression or amber fossils), the Epyrinae were hitherto unknown before the lower Eocene. In this contribution, we report the discovery of the oldest member of this group, based on a female specimen from the early Cenomanian amber of Kachin, Myanmar. We describe and illustrate a new genus and species, Hukawngepyris setosus gen. et sp. nov. The new genus is compared with the other epyrine genera and characterized by a unique combination of characters not known in the subfamily. Hukawngepyris setosus gen. et sp. nov. is especially unique in the configuration of the forewing venation, with a complete 2r-rs&Rs vein, curved towards the anterior wing margin, and the presence of three proximal and three distal hamuli. The key to the genera of Epyrinae is accommodated to include the newly erected genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Brazidec
- CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, University Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France;
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, F-75005 Paris, France
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Volker Lohrmann
- Übersee-Museum Bremen, Bahnhofsplatz 13, 28195 Bremen, Germany;
| | - Vincent Perrichot
- CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, University Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000 Rennes, France;
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6
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Fu Y, Cai C, Chen P, Xuan Q, Myint TA, Huang D. Group mating in Cretaceous water striders. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232546. [PMID: 38565153 PMCID: PMC10987238 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2546] [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: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Fossilized mating insects are irreplaceable material for comprehending the evolution of the mating behaviours and life-history traits in the deep-time record of insects as well as the potential sexual conflict. However, cases of mating pairs are particularly rare in fossil insects, especially aquatic or semi-aquatic species. Here, we report the first fossil record of a group of water striders in copulation (including three pairs and a single adult male) based on fossils from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar. The new taxon, Burmogerris gen. nov., likely represents one of the oldest cases of insects related to the marine environment, such as billabongs formed by the tides. It exhibits conspicuous dimorphism associated with sexual conflict: the male is equipped with a specialized protibial comb as a grasping apparatus, likely representing an adaptation to overcome female resistance during struggles. The paired Burmogerris show smaller males riding on the backs of the females, seemingly recording a scene of copulatory struggles between the sexes. Our discovery reveals a mating system dominated by males and sheds light on the potential sexual conflicts of Burmogerris in the Cretaceous. It indicates the mating behaviour remained stable over long-term geological time in these water-walking insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhe Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Biocenter, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingping Chen
- Section Entomology, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Qiang Xuan
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Tin Aung Myint
- Department of Geology, University of Mandalay, Mandalay, Myanmar
| | - Diying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
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7
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Wood HM, Wunderlich J. Burma Terrane Amber Fauna Shows Connections to Gondwana and Transported Gondwanan Lineages to the Northern Hemisphere (Araneae: Palpimanoidea). Syst Biol 2023; 72:1233-1246. [PMID: 37527553 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad047] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Burmese amber is a significant source of fossils that documents the mid-Cretaceous biota. This deposit was formed around 99 Ma on the Burma Terrane, which broke away from Gondwana and later collided with Asia, although the timing is disputed. Palpimanoidea is a dispersal-limited group that was a dominant element of the Mesozoic spider fauna, and has an extensive fossil record, particularly from Burmese amber. Using morphological and molecular data, evolutionary relationships of living and fossil Palpimanoidea are examined. Divergence dating with fossils as terminal tips shows timing of diversification is contemporaneous with continental breakup.Ancestral range estimations show widespread ancestral ranges that divide into lineages that inherit different Pangean fragments, consistent with vicariance. Our results suggest that the Burmese amber fauna has ties to Gondwana due to a historical connection in the Early Cretaceous, and that the Burma Terrane facilitated biotic exchange by transporting lineages from Gondwana into the Holarctic in the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Wood
- Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Jörg Wunderlich
- Oberer Häuselbergweg 24, 69493 Hirschberg an der Bergstraße, Germany
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8
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Mengel L, Linhart S, Haug GT, Weiterschan T, Müller P, Hoffeins C, Hoffeins HW, Baranov V, Haug C, Haug JT. The Morphological Diversity of Dragon Lacewing Larvae (Nevrorthidae, Neuroptera) Changed More over Geological Time Scales Than Anticipated. INSECTS 2023; 14:749. [PMID: 37754717 PMCID: PMC10649721 DOI: 10.3390/insects14090749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Nevrorthidae, the group of dragon lacewings, has often been considered a relic group. Today, dragon lacewings show a scattered distribution, with some species occurring in southern Europe, Japan, Australia, and one in China. The idea that this distribution is only a remnant of an originally larger distribution is further supported by fossils of the group preserved in ambers from the Baltic region (Eocene, ca. 35-40 MaBP) and Myanmar (Kachin amber, Cretaceous, ca. 100 MaBP). Larvae of the group are slender and elongated and live mostly in water. Yet, larvae are in fact very rare. So far, only slightly more than 30 larval specimens, counting all extant and fossil larvae, have been depicted in the literature. Here, we report numerous additional specimens, including extant larvae, but also fossil ones from Baltic and Kachin amber. Together with the already known ones, this sums up to over 100 specimens. We analysed quantitative aspects of the morphology of these larvae and compared them over time to identify changes in the diversity. Despite the enriched sample size, the data set is still unbalanced, with, for example, newly hatched larvae (several dozen specimens) only known from the Eocene. We expected little change in larval morphology over geological time, as indicated by earlier studies. However, on the contrary, we recognised morphologies present in fossils that are now extinct. This result is similar to those for other groups of lacewings which have a relic distribution today, as these have also suffered a loss in diversity in larval forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mengel
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
| | - Simon Linhart
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
| | - Gideon T. Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
| | | | | | | | | | - Viktor Baranov
- Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, 41092 Sevilla, Spain;
| | - Carolin Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
| | - Joachim T. Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (L.M.); (S.L.); (G.T.H.); (J.T.H.)
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
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Li Y, Ebihara A, Nosova N, Tan ZZ, Cui YM. First Fossil Record of Trichomanes sensu lato (Hymenophyllaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1709. [PMID: 37629566 PMCID: PMC10455793 DOI: 10.3390/life13081709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hymenophyllaceae (filmy ferns), with ca. 430 species, are the most species-rich family of early diverging leptosporangiate ferns but have a poor fossil record dating back to the Late Triassic period. Traditionally, Hymenophyllaceae comprise two species-rich genera or clades: Hymenophyllum (hymenophylloids) and Trichomanes sensu lato (s.l.) (trichomanoids). Unequivocal fossils of Hymenophyllum have been reported from the Early Cretaceous of central Mongolia and the early Eocene of Okanogan Highlands, Washington, USA. However, despite being a highly diversified lineage with an estimated 184 extant species, Trichomanes s.l. lack a definitive fossil record, which severely affects the reliability of the molecular dating of this group. Here, we report the first unequivocal fossil record of Trichomanes s.l. as T. angustum comb. nov. on the basis of fertile material with tubular involucres and long exserted receptacles from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, Myanmar. This species was previously tentatively assigned to Hymenophyllites due to a lack of fertile evidence. Inferred to be an epiphytic fern, T. angustum further enriches the species diversity of the epiphytic palaeocommunities in the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, which are mainly composed of Porellalean leafy liverworts and Dicranalean and Hypnodendralean mosses. Fossil records indicate that Hymenophyllaceae probably originated in the tropical Pangea at the latest in the Triassic when all continents were coalesced into a single landmass and had already accumulated some notable diversity in low-middle latitude areas of Laurasia by the mid-Cretaceous period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Li
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Atsushi Ebihara
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba 305-0005, Japan;
| | - Natalya Nosova
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popova Str. 2, Saint Petersburg 197376, Russia;
| | - Zhen-Zhen Tan
- College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;
| | - Yi-Ming Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
- Lushan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jiujiang 332900, China
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10
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Luo C, Poinar GO, Xu C, Zhuo D, Jarzembowski EA, Wang B. Widespread mermithid nematode parasitism of Cretaceous insects. eLife 2023; 12:e86283. [PMID: 37449724 PMCID: PMC10348742 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mermithid nematodes are obligate invertebrate parasites dating back to the Early Cretaceous. Their fossil record is sparse, especially before the Cenozoic, thus little is known about their early host associations. This study reports 16 new mermithids associated with their insect hosts from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, 12 of which include previously unknown hosts. These fossils indicate that mermithid parasitism of invertebrates was already widespread and played an important role in the mid-Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem. Remarkably, three hosts (bristletails, barklice, and perforissid planthoppers) were previously unknown to be parasitized by mermithids both past and present. Furthermore, our study shows that in contrast to their Cenozoic counterparts, Cretaceous nematodes including mermithids are more abundant in non-holometabolous insects. This result suggests that nematodes had not completely exploited the dominant Holometabola as their hosts until the Cenozoic. This study reveals what appears to be a vanished history of nematodes that parasitized Cretaceous insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cihang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of SciencesNanjingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - George O Poinar
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State UniversityCorvallisUnited States
| | - Chunpeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of SciencesNanjingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - De Zhuo
- Beijing Xiachong Amber MuseumBeijingChina
| | - Edmund A Jarzembowski
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of SciencesNanjingChina
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of SciencesNanjingChina
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11
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Cadena-Castañeda OJ, Liu YJ, Yu ZY, Hu TH, Wu SY, He ZQ. Are the recently described fossil Mole Crickets of Myanmar amber real gryllotalpids? (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae & Gryllidae). Zootaxa 2023; 5311:48-64. [PMID: 37518656 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5311.1.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
We report five new Myanmar amber specimens attributable to "Mole Cricket" †Pherodactylus rectanguli n. comb., hitherto regarded as a Mole Cricket (Orthoptera: Grylloptalpidae). The new material includes two adult males, two adult females, and one nymph. The specimens are redescribed, and additional new characters are provided for their delimitation and corresponding species identification. We carry out a comparison between these new specimens with other taxa of mole crickets from Myanmar amber and extant true crickets. The result indicates that some species merely represent different nymphal development stages or adults of †Pherodactylus rectanguli n. comb., however, they were misidentified as different species. We also treated genera †Tresdigitus n. syn. and †Chunxiania n. syn. as synonyms of genus †Pherodactylus Poinar, Su & Brown, 2020, and treat †Tresdigitus gracilis Jiang, Xu, Jarzembowski & Xiao, 2022 n. syn. and †Chunxiania fania n. syn. as synonyms of †Pherodactylus rectanguli n. comb. †Burmagryllotalpa longa is valid, because its shape of the pronotum curved without lateral carinae. The morphological convergences and specializations of subterranean dwelling species are discussed. The robust fore tibia and long apical spurs of †P. micromorphus, †P. rectanguli n. comb. and †B. longa are insufficient evidence for an assignment to the family Gryllotalpidae. Instead, we suggest place them into the subfamily Gryllinae (Gryllidae), tribe Sclerogryllini, and group them into their own subtribe Pherodactylina n. subtr.. A key to the identification of recent and fossil Sclerogryllini is also provided. Their taxonomy and morphology are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar J Cadena-Castañeda
- Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas; Grupo de Investigación en Artrópodos "Kumangui".
| | - Yi-Jiao Liu
- School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China.
| | - Zhe-Yuan Yu
- School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China.
| | - Tian-Hao Hu
- School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China.
| | - Shi-Yang Wu
- Department of Environmental Science; Policy; and Management; University of California; Berkeley; 94720; USA.
| | - Zhu-Qing He
- Museum of Biology; School of Life Sciences; East China Normal University; Shanghai 200241; China.
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12
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Bartel C, Dunlop JA, Giribet G. An unexpected diversity of Cyphophthalmi (Arachnida: Opiliones) in Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Zootaxa 2023; 5296:421-445. [PMID: 37518436 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5296.3.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Ten new Cyphophthalmi specimens (Arachnida: Opiliones) from the Upper Cretaceous (Lower Cenomanian) Burmese amber of northern Myanmar are described. Seven of these are placed in Stylocellidae, the predominant extant family found today in Southeast Asia. Sirocellus iunctus gen. et sp. nov. represents the first fossil with a combination of sironid and stylocellid characters, suggesting a still ongoing transition in some lineages during the Upper Cretaceous. Mesopsalis oblongus gen. et sp. nov. represents a second fossil with elongated ozophores, a character not known from modern species. Leptopsalis breyeri sp. nov. is the first Cretaceous cyphophthalmid assignable to an extant genus. The species Foveacorpus cretaceus gen. et sp. nov. and F. parvus gen. et sp. nov., which cannot be placed in an extant family, show morphological novelties for Cyphophthalmi such as numerous pits covering the whole body. The possible function of these pits is discussed. Three more adult males with unique adenostyles and two juveniles are not formally named but further indicate an already highly diverse cyphophthalmid fauna during the Cretaceous. The total number of named Burmese amber Cyphophthalmi species is raised from one to six, and the total fossil record for this suborder now stands at eight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Bartel
- Freie Universität Berlin; Institute of Geological Sciences; Palaeontology Section; Malteserstraße 74-100; D-12249 Berlin; Germany.
| | - Jason A Dunlop
- Museum für Naturkunde; Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science; Invalidenstraße 43; D-10115 Berlin; Germany.
| | - Gonzalo Giribet
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology; Harvard University; 26 Oxford Street; Cambridge; MA 02138; USA.
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13
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Zhang X, Li J, Luo C. A new cockroach Huablattula vrsanskyi sp. n. (Blattaria: Blattulidae) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Biologia (Bratisl) 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-023-01344-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
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14
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Expanding the Fossil Record of Soldier Fly Larvae—An Important Component of the Cretaceous Amber Forest. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Larvae of soldier flies and their closest relatives (Diptera: Stratiomyomorpha) are important decomposers of organic material, including wood, that take part in carbon cycling. They also play a certain role in the modern-day animal and human food industry, representing economic value. Larvae of Stratiomyomorpha are considered to be rather rare in the fossil record. Indeed, only very few larvae have been reported so far. Here, we demonstrate that larvae of Stratiomyomorpha are in fact abundant in the Cretaceous, at least in Myanmar amber (about 100 million years old), based on more than 100 amber pieces containing larvae. The specimens could be differentiated into three morphotypes, two already described in a previous work, and a new one. For one morphotype, three larval stages could be distinguished by analysing the dimensions of the head capsules. A quantitative analysis of body shapes indicates a lower morphological diversity of the fossil sample in comparison to the extant fauna, but suggests that they might have had a different ecology in the past. It appears that the data set is not yet saturated, i.e., that more fossil larvae of this group, including different morphologies, are expected to be found.
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15
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Hassenbach C, Buchner L, Haug GT, Haug C, Haug JT. An Expanded View on the Morphological Diversity of Long-Nosed Antlion Larvae Further Supports a Decline of Silky Lacewings in the Past 100 Million Years. INSECTS 2023; 14:170. [PMID: 36835743 PMCID: PMC9966087 DOI: 10.3390/insects14020170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Lacewings have been suggested to be a relict group. This means that the group of lacewings, Neuroptera, should have been more diverse in the past, which also applies to many ingroups of Neuroptera. Psychopsidae, the group of silky lacewings, is one of the ingroups of Neuroptera which is relatively species-poor in the modern fauna. Larvae of the group Psychopsidae, long-nosed antlions, can be easily identified as such in being larvae of antlion-like lacewings without teeth in their stylets (=compound structure of mandible and maxilla), with empodia (=attachment structures on legs) and with a prominent forward-protruding labrum. Therefore, such larvae can also be recognised in the fossil record. An earlier study demonstrated a decline in the morphological diversity of long-nosed antlion larvae over the past 100 million years. Here, we report several dozen new long-nosed antlion larvae and expand the earlier quantitative study. Our results further corroborate the decline of silky lacewings. Yet, a lack of an indication of saturation indicates that we have still not approached the original diversity of long-nosed antlions in the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Hassenbach
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Laura Buchner
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Gideon T. Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Carolin Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Joachim T. Haug
- Faculty of Biology, Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
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16
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Zhuang Y, Xu W, Zhang G, Mai H, Li X, He H, Ran H, Liu Y. Unparalleled details of soft tissues in a Cretaceous ant. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:146. [PMID: 36526958 PMCID: PMC9756460 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02099-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For social insects such as ants, the internal organs are likely important in understanding their eusocial behavior and evolution. Such organs, however, are rarely preserved on fossils. In each of the few cases reporting exceptionally fossilized soft tissues in arthropods, the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular systems have been described individually, but never in combination. Here, we report a female specimen (gyne) of the extinct ant group-†Zigrasimecia-included in a Cretaceous amber piece from Kachin, Myanmar, with an almost complete system formed by various internal organs. These include the brain, the main exocrine system, part of the digestive tract, and several muscle clusters. This research expands our knowledge of internal anatomy in stem group ants. As the gyne bears a morphologically unique labrum, our specimen's internal and external features support the notion that the early ant may have special ecological habits during the Cretaceous period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Zhuang
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Wenjing Xu
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEvolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XVillum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Huijuan Mai
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Xiaoqin Li
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Hong He
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Hao Ran
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guilin, 541004 China ,Biological Education and Research Laboratory, Mancheng High School of Hebei Province, Baoding, 072150 China
| | - Yu Liu
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
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17
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Early stage of evolution of Gonomyia (Diptera: Limoniidae), new significant discoveries in the Cretaceous Iberian and Kachin amber. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21118. [PMID: 36477163 PMCID: PMC9729179 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25803-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thanks to detailed studies of inclusions in Spanish and Kachin amber, it was also possible to study the morphology of insects belonging to the genus Gonomyia. A new material under investigation made it possible to establish two new nominative for science subgenera within the genus Gonomyia has been designated with unique set of characters of antenna, wing venation and genitalia. Two new species within two new subgenera have been described and documented by drawings and photographs, there are Gonomyia (Iberiana) penalveri subgen. et sp. nov. and Gonomyia (Cretagonomyia) burmitica subgen. et sp. nov. The new discovery is the first record of the genus Gonomyia (Diptera: Limoniidae) in Cretaceous Spanish amber and the second in Kachin amber. The new discovery adds to the knowledge of the crane fies' diversity and evolution, especially its first stage in the Cretaceous.
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18
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Burmogonus gen. nov., a New Click Beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae: Elaterinae) from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14121070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The click beetles (Elateridae) originated in the Mesozoic and recently form a relatively large family with approximately 10,000 described species worldwide. However, the Mesozoic, and particularly Cretaceous, click beetle fauna remains very poorly known. Here we describe Burmogonus cretaceus gen. et sp. nov. based on a single, relatively well-preserved, specimen from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. This species can be assigned with confidence to the subfamily Elaterinae, and based on the supra-antennal carinae being incomplete across the head and directed to the labrum, the shape of metacoxal plates, and simple tarsi, we tentatively place it in the tribe Elaterini. We discuss the morphology of a new genus and other Elaterinae described from Burmese amber.
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19
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Li Y, Wang YD, Nosova N, Lu N, Xu YY. Filmy Ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) and Associated Spike-Mosses (Selaginellaceae) from the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber, Myanmar. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:1629. [PMID: 36358330 PMCID: PMC9687414 DOI: 10.3390/biology11111629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Filmy ferns (Hymenophyllaceae) are the most diverse lineage of the early-diverging leptosporangiate ferns with ca. 430 species widely distributed around the world but with the highest diversity in the humid tropics. However, their fossil record is scarce because of the low preservation potential of the delicate, membranous laminae. So far, no Hymenophyllaceae fossils have been reported from tropical Asia. Here, we describe some fern remains and their syninclusions (spike-mosses) in four pieces of Kachin amber from the mid-Cretaceous of Hukawng Valley, Northern Myanmar, as Hymenophyllites angustus sp. nov., H. kachinensis sp. nov., H. setosus sp. nov. (Hymenophyllaceae) and Selaginella alata sp. nov. (Selaginellaceae), respectively. These fern remains are assigned to Hymenophyllaceae based on the filmy, one-cell thick, decompound pinnatifid laminae and dichotomous venation. They represent the first fossil record of Hymenophyllaceae in tropical Asia. The growth habits of these ferns and associated spike-mosses and their implication for paleoenvironment are discussed. Our study expands the diversity of the cryptogams in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Together with other contemporaneous findings, the present fossils indicate that Hymenophyllaceae have already accumulated some notable diversity in the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya Li
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yong-Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Natalya Nosova
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popova Str. 2, 197376 Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ning Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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20
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Jouault C, Engel MS, Legendre F, Huang D, Grandcolas P, Nel A. Incrementing and clarifying the diversity and early evolution of termites (Blattodea: Isoptera). Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The past diversity of Isoptera is relatively poorly documented. Many early-diverging families are only represented today by relicts of their Mesozoic and Cenozoic richness. Therefore, the onset of their evolutionary history and the transitions between families, or even between subsocial and eusocial ways of life, remain difficult to decipher and require additional fossil occurrences. Here, we report the oldest worker/pseudergate trapped in amber and a new Mastotermitidae, both from Hkamti amber. We document a diverse assemblage of species representing early-diverging families from the ‘Mid’-Cretaceous of Myanmar, including two new genera and four new species in as many different genera: Anisotermes bourguignoni sp. nov., Longitermes pulcher gen. et sp. nov., Magnifitermes krishnai gen. et sp. nov. and Mastotermes myanmarensis sp. nov. These descriptions provide significant morphological evidence to discuss the placement of the genus Anisotermes, confidently place the new genera and confirm the monophyly of Mastotermitidae. The diversity of Cretaceous isopterans, in light of the biology of their extant representatives, is used to discuss palaeoecological implications and highlights the radiation of early diverged Isoptera in the complex Cretaceous ecosystem. The validity of the species Meiatermes cretacicus is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Jouault
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles , CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris , France
- Université de Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes , UMR 6118, Rennes, F-35000 , France
- CNRS, UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l’évolution de Montpellier , Université de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, 34095 , France
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History , Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024 , USA
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas , 1501 Crestline Drive – Suite 140, Lawrence, KS, 66045 , USA
| | - Frédéric Legendre
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles , CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris , France
| | - Diying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008 , PR China
| | - Philippe Grandcolas
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles , CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris , France
| | - André Nel
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles , CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris , France
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21
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Vršanský P, Aristov D, Hain M, Kúdelová T, Kúdela M, Metscher B, Palková H, Káčerová J, Hinkelman J. Longest-surviving Carboniferous-family insect found in Mesozoic amber. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01192-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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22
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Lu Y, Ballerio A, Wang S, Zou Z, Gorb SN, Wang T, Li L, Ji S, Zhao Z, Li S, Tong Y, Chen Y, Zhuo D, Luo C, Zhang W, Liu N, Gu Q, Bai M. The evolution of conglobation in Ceratocanthinae. Commun Biol 2022; 5:777. [PMID: 35933440 PMCID: PMC9357020 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03685-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Conglobation is an adaptive behaviour occurring independently in various animal groups. Here, we study the evolution of conglobation in Ceratocanthinae, a beetle group with the ability to roll three body segments into a tight ball. It is here implied that this ability evolved only once in the Mesozoic. Evidence is offered suggesting that the high defensive strength of Ceratocanthinae is due not only to the spherical body shape but also to the thickness and stronger mechanical properties of the dorsal cuticle. We further validate five adaptive characters including the allometrically thickened body wall and find that the specific adaptation of different body segments are likely separate evolutionary events. Finally, we propose an “attackers stress” hypothesis to explain the origin of conglobation behaviours. This work contributes to understanding how and why conglobation behaviour may have evolved in this group. Evolutionary and functional analyses alongside new fossil specimens expand our understanding of rolling-into-ball behaviour in pill scarab beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Shuo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengting Zou
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Stanislav N Gorb
- Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Zoological Institute, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Tao Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China.,College of Plant Protection, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, 071001, China
| | - Lulu Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shen Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengyu Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yijie Tong
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yandong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - De Zhuo
- Beijing Xiachong Amber Museum, Beijing, China
| | - Cihang Luo
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Ning Liu
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Ming Bai
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. .,Hainan Yazhou Bay Seed Lab, Building 1, No.7 Yiju Road, Yazhou District, Sanya City, Hainan, 572025, China.
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23
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Haug JT, Haug C. 100 Million-year-old straight-jawed lacewing larvae with enormously inflated trunks represent the oldest cases of extreme physogastry in insects. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12760. [PMID: 35882894 PMCID: PMC9325756 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16698-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Physogastry is a phenomenon occurring in Euarthropoda and describes an extreme inflation of (parts of) the trunk. It is best known from ticks, termite queens, or honey-pot ants, but can also be found in several other representatives of Euarthropoda. Physogastry has so far rarely been seen in the fossil record. We describe here an example of physogastry in two lacewing larvae (Neuroptera) enclosed in a single piece of Kachin amber (ca. 100 Ma old). We measured head and trunk ratios of different physogastric and non-physogastric representatives of Euarthropoda. Plotting these ratios shows that the new larvae, which display quite extremely inflated trunks, are very similar to ticks or honey-pot ants, but also to certain lacewing larvae of the group Berothidae (beaded lacewings). Outline analysis of head capsule and mouthparts (stylets) further suggests a position within Berothidae. Physogastry is presumed to be linked with living in confined spaces such as wood galleries or soil. Indeed, at least some larvae of Berothidae are known to live inside termite nests for part of their larval life phase, a habit the new larvae may also have had. The new record represents the oldest case of extreme physogastry in insects known to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim T Haug
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany. .,GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333, Munich, Germany.
| | - Carolin Haug
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333, Munich, Germany
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24
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A New Cretaceous Dustywing Genus (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) with Peculiar Wing Venation. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13070654. [PMID: 35886829 PMCID: PMC9318248 DOI: 10.3390/insects13070654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The species and morphological diversity of dustywings (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) from the Cretaceous, of which the knowledge is rapidly increasing by recent studies on the species from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, provide valuable evidence for understanding the phylogeny and early evolution of this highly specialized lacewing lineage. Here we describe a new genus and two new species of this genus in Coniopterygidae from the mid-Cretaceous (lowermost Cenomanian) of northern Myanmar, namely Paradoxoconis szirakii gen. et sp. nov. and Paradoxoconis longipalpa gen. et sp. nov. The new genus possesses a peculiar combination of wing characters, e.g., the terminal fusion or connection between ScP and RA, the terminal connection of RA to RP, the presence of forewing A3, and the presence of a distal gradate series of crossveins. Despite uncertain subfamilial placement, this new genus morphologically resembles the extant genus Coniocompsa Enderlein, 1905 of the subfamily Aleuropteryginae and the extant genus Flintoconis Sziráki, 2007 of the subfamily Brucheiserinae. Our finding highlights the palaeodiversity of dustywings from the Cretaceous.
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He T, Lamont BB. Ancient Rhamnaceae flowers impute an origin for flowering plants exceeding 250-million-years ago. iScience 2022; 25:104642. [PMID: 35800761 PMCID: PMC9254029 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Setting the molecular clock to newly described 100-million-year-old flowering shoots of Phylica in Burmese amber enabled us to recalibrate the phylogenetic history of Rhamnaceae. We traced its origin to ∼260 million years ago (Ma) that can explain its migration within and beyond Gondwana since that time and implies an origin for flowering plants that stretches well beyond 290 Ma. Ancestral trait assignments also revealed that hard-seededness, fire-proneness, and to a lesser extent, heat-released seed dormancy, have a similarly long history in this clade. 100-million-year-old fossils of Phylica (Rhamnaceae) have recently been described Phylogenetic reconstruction using them reveals a crown age for Rhamnaceae at 259 Ma Ancestral trait reconstruction shows the associated vegetation was fire prone 259 Ma These are the oldest flowering-plant ages and fire-related traits obtained so far
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Jouault C, Engel MS, Huang D, Berger J, Grandcolas P, Perkovsky EE, Legendre F, Nel A. Termite Valkyries: Soldier-Like Alate Termites From the Cretaceous and Task Specialization in the Early Evolution of Isoptera. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.737367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In several insect eusocial lineages, e.g., some aphids, thrips, ants, some stingless bees, and termites, task specialization is brought to its climax with a sterile soldier caste solely devoted to colony defense. In Isoptera, while the reproductives are defenseless, the soldiers have unique morpho-physiological specializations whose origin and evolution remain unresolved. Here we report on two instances of Cretaceous fossil termite reproductives belonging to different families († Valkyritermes inopinatus gen. et sp. nov. and an unpublished specimen from the Crato Formation), with intriguing phragmotic soldier-like heads and functional wings. These individuals, herein called Valkyries, are the first termite reproductives known with defensive features and suggest that phragmosis arose at least in the Early Cretaceous. Valkyries resemble modern neotenic soldiers except for their complete wings. Their discovery supports the hypothesis that the division between reproductive (indicated by the winged condition of Valkyries) and defensive tasks (indicated by the phragmotic head) has not always been complete in termite history. We explore two alternative scenarios regarding the origin of Valkyries (i.e., relatively recent and convergent origins vs. plesiomorphic condition) and discuss how they might relate to the development of soldiers. We argue that, in both cases, Valkyries likely evolved to face external threats, a selective pressure that could also have favored the origin of soldiers from helpers. Valkyries highlight the developmental flexibility of termites and illustrate the tortuous paths that evolution may follow.
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New Cretaceous Lacewings in a Transitional Lineage of Myrmeleontoidea and Their Phylogenetic Implications. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13050429. [PMID: 35621765 PMCID: PMC9145227 DOI: 10.3390/insects13050429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The Cretaceous myrmeleontoids (antlions, spoon-winged lacewings, split-footed lacewings, etc.), as one of the diverse neuropteran groups, are valuable for understanding the early evolution of Myrmeleontoidea. Here, two new species individually belonging to the extinct families Cratosmylidae and Babinskaiidae are described from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of Myanmar. The morphology-based phylogeny of Myrmeleontoidea herein inferred recovered the positions of these new taxa but questioned the familial status of Cratosmylidae. The new finding also highlights the Gondwanan origin of the lacewing paleofauna from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar. Abstract The extinct neuropteran families Cratosmylidae and Babinskaiidae hitherto only known from the Cretaceous represent the transitional lineage between Nymphidae and advanced myrmeleontoids (e.g., Nemopteridae and Myrmeleontidae) in the superfamily Myrmeleontoidea. Here, we describe two new species, which respectively belong to Cratosmylidae and Babinskaiidae, namely, Araripenymphes burmanus sp. nov. and Paradoxoleon chenruii gen. et sp. nov., from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of Myanmar. Cratosmylidae, which was previously only recorded from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil (Crato Formation), is first reported from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of Myanmar, and the co-occurrence of Araripenymphes Menon, Martins-Neto and Martill, 2005 across South America and Asia further documents the Gondwanan origin of the northern Myanmar amber lacewing paleofauna. The first finding of a deeply bifurcated forewing MP with two free branches in Babinskaiidae (viz., Paradoxoleon chenruii gen. et sp. nov.) highlights the morphological diversity of this extinct family. The phylogenetic positions of Araripenymphes burmanus sp. nov. and Paradoxoleon chenruii gen. et sp. nov. were recovered on the basis of a morphology-based phylogenetic analysis, and the monophyly of Cratosmylidae + Babinskaiidae was corroborated. Given the paraphyly of Cratosmylidae, its familial status is discussed.
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Jiang H, Tomaschek F, Drew Muscente A, Niu C, Nyunt TT, Fang Y, Schmidt U, Chen J, Lönartz M, Mähler B, Wappler T, Jarzembowski EA, Szwedo J, Zhang H, Rust J, Wang B. Widespread mineralization of soft-bodied insects in Cretaceous amber. GEOBIOLOGY 2022; 20:363-376. [PMID: 35212124 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fossilized tree resin, or amber, commonly contains fossils of animals, plants and microorganisms. These inclusions have generally been interpreted as hollow moulds or mummified remains coated or filled with carbonaceous material. Here, we provide the first report of calcified and silicified insects in amber from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin (Burmese) amber. Data from light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX and WDX), X-ray micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) and Raman spectroscopy show that these Kachin fossils owe their preservation to multiple diagenetic mineralization processes. The labile tissues (e.g. eyes, wings and trachea) mainly consist of calcite, chalcedony and quartz with minor amounts of carbonaceous material, pyrite, iron oxide and phyllosilicate minerals. Calcite, quartz and chalcedony also occur in cracks as void-filling cements, indicating that the minerals formed from chemical species that entered the fossil inclusions through cracks in the resin. The results demonstrate that resin and amber are not always closed systems. Fluids (e.g. sediment pore water, diagenetic fluid and ground water) at different burial stages have chances to interact with amber throughout its geological history and affect the preservational quality and morphological fidelity of its fossil inclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Section Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Frank Tomaschek
- Section Geochemistry/Petrology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Changtai Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Thet Tin Nyunt
- Department of Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration, Myanmar Gems Museum, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
| | - Yan Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Jun Chen
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, China
| | - Mara Lönartz
- Section Geochemistry/Petrology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-6): Nuclear Waste Management and Reactor Safety, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Bastian Mähler
- Section Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Torsten Wappler
- Section Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Natural History Department, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Edmund A Jarzembowski
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jacek Szwedo
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Entomology and Museum of Amber Inclusions, Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Haichun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Jes Rust
- Section Palaeontology, Institute of Geosciences, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
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Xu C, Luo C, Jarzembowski EA, Fang Y, Wang B. Aposematic coloration from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210039. [PMID: 35124999 PMCID: PMC8819367 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aposematic coloration is among the most diverse antipredator strategies, which can signal unpleasantness of organisms to potential predators and reduce the probability of predation. Unlike mimesis, aposematic coloration allows organisms to warn their predators away by conspicuous and recognizable colour patterns. However, aposematism has been a regular puzzle, especially as the long-term history of such traits is obscured by an insufficient fossil record. Here, we report the discovery of aposematic coloration in an orthopteran nymph from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (99 million years old). It is attributed to the extinct family Elcanidae and erected as a new genus identified by conspicuous dark/light-striped coloration, four apical spurs on the metatibia, a two-segmented metatarsus and unsegmented stylus. It represents the first fossil orthopteran preserved with aposematic coloration from the Mesozoic, demonstrating that orthopterans had evolved aposematism by the Mid-Cretaceous. Our findings provide novel insights into the early evolution of anti-predator strategies among orthopterans. Together with mimesis, debris-carrying camouflage and aposematism previously reported, our findings demonstrate the relative complexity of prey-predator interactions in the Mesozoic, especially in the Mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber forest. This article is part of the theme issue 'The impact of Chinese palaeontology on evolutionary research'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunpeng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Cihang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People's Republic of China
| | - Edmund A Jarzembowski
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
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Shi C, Wang S, Cai HH, Zhang HR, Long XX, Tihelka E, Song WC, Feng Q, Jiang RX, Cai CY, Lombard N, Li X, Yuan J, Zhu JP, Yang HY, Liu XF, Xiang QP, Zhao ZT, Long CL, Schneider H, Zhang XC, Peng H, Li DZ, Fan Y, Engel MS, Wang YD, Spicer RA. Fire-prone Rhamnaceae with South African affinities in Cretaceous Myanmar amber. NATURE PLANTS 2022; 8:125-135. [PMID: 35102275 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-01091-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rapid Cretaceous diversification of flowering plants remains Darwin's 'abominable mystery' despite numerous fossil flowers discovered in recent years. Wildfires were frequent in the Cretaceous and many such early flower fossils are represented by charcoalified fragments, lacking complete delicate structures and surface textures, making their similarity to living forms difficult to discern. Furthermore, scarcity of information about the ecology of early angiosperms makes it difficult to test hypotheses about the drivers of their diversification, including the role of fire in shaping flowering plant evolution. We report the discovery of two exquisitely preserved fossil flower species, one identical to the inflorescences of the extant crown-eudicot genus Phylica and the other recovered as a sister group to Phylica, both preserved as inclusions together with burned plant remains in Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (~99 million years ago). These specialized flower species, named Phylica piloburmensis sp. nov. and Eophylica priscastellata gen. et sp. nov., exhibit traits identical to those of modern taxa in fire-prone ecosystems such as the fynbos of South Africa, and provide evidence of fire adaptation in angiosperms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Shi
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
- Fushun Amber Institute, Fushun, China.
| | - Hao-Hong Cai
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Hong-Rui Zhang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Xuan Long
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Erik Tihelka
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Bristol, UK
| | - Wei-Cai Song
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Qi Feng
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Ri-Xin Jiang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Chen-Yang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Natasha Lombard
- Biosystematics and Biodiversity Collections Division, National Herbarium, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Xiong Li
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Ji Yuan
- Shanghai World Expo Museum, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Ping Zhu
- College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Hui-Yu Yang
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao-Fan Liu
- College of Marine Science and Biological Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Qiao-Ping Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zun-Tian Zhao
- College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Chun-Lin Long
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Harald Schneider
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yatsen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xian-Chun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hua Peng
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - De-Zhu Li
- Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yong Fan
- Fushun Amber Institute, Fushun, China
| | - Michael S Engel
- Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Yong-Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Palaeoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Robert A Spicer
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, China
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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OUP accepted manuscript. Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Luque J, Xing L, Briggs DEG, Clark EG, Duque A, Hui J, Mai H, McKellar RC. Crab in amber reveals an early colonization of nonmarine environments during the Cretaceous. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj5689. [PMID: 34669480 PMCID: PMC8528423 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj5689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Amber fossils provide snapshots of the anatomy, biology, and ecology of extinct organisms that are otherwise inaccessible. The best-known fossils in amber are terrestrial arthropods—principally insects—whereas aquatic organisms are rarely represented. Here, we present the first record of true crabs (Brachyura) in amber—from the Cretaceous of Myanmar [~100 to 99 million years (Ma)]. The new fossil preserves large compound eyes, delicate mouthparts, and even gills. This modern-looking crab is nested within crown Eubrachyura, or “higher” true crabs, which includes the majority of brachyuran species living today. The fossil appears to have been trapped in a brackish or freshwater setting near a coastal to fluvio-estuarine environment, bridging the gap between the predicted molecular divergence of nonmarine crabs (~130 Ma) and their younger fossil record (latest Cretaceous and Paleogene, ~75 to 50 Ma) while providing a reliable calibration point for molecular divergence time estimates for higher crown eubrachyurans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Luque
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa–Ancón, 0843-03092 Panamá, Panamá
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Lida Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
- School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Derek E. G. Briggs
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
| | - Elizabeth G. Clark
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Alex Duque
- Computer Animation and Visual Effects, College of Communication and Design, Lynn University, 2601 North Military Trail, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
| | - Junbo Hui
- Longyin Amber Museum, Xishan District, Kunming 650228, Yunnan, China
| | - Huijuan Mai
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, Yunnan, China
- MEC International Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, Yunnan, China
| | - Ryan C. McKellar
- Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, SK S4P 4W7, Canada
- Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
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Haug JT, Müller P, Haug C. Fossil dragonfly-type larva with lateral abdominal protrusions and implications on the early evolution of Pterygota. iScience 2021; 24:103162. [PMID: 34646993 PMCID: PMC8501664 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquatic larvae are known in three early branches of Pterygota: Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies). A common origin of these larvae has been suggested, yet also counterarguments have been put forward, for example, the different position of larval gills: laterally on the abdomen in Ephemeroptera, terminally in Odonata, variably in Plecoptera. We discuss recent fossil findings and report a new dragonfly-type larva from Kachin amber (Myanmar), which possesses ancestral characters such as a terminal filum, maintained in ephemeropterans, but lost in modern odonatan larvae. The new larva possesses lateral protrusions on the abdominal segments where in other lineages gills occur. Together with other fossils, such as a plecopteran retaining lateral gills on the abdomen, this indicates that lateral protrusions on the abdomen might have well been an ancestral feature, removing one important argument against the idea of an aquatic larva in the ground pattern of Pterygota. A new dragonfly-type larva was found in Kachin amber (Myanmar, 99 million years old). The larva possesses a terminal filum, which is not known in modern dragonfly larvae It also exhibits lateral abdominal protrusions where in other lineages gills occur This find makes an aquatic larva in the ground pattern of Pterygota more likely
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim T Haug
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Biocenter, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
| | | | - Carolin Haug
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Biocenter, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.,GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
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Wang Y, Tang H, Ren D, Yao Y. New Fossil Tingidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from the Mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar, with Remarks on the Phylogenetic Relationships within the Family. INSECTS 2021; 12:887. [PMID: 34680658 PMCID: PMC8540450 DOI: 10.3390/insects12100887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
A new genus and species, Latidorsum carinbifarium Wang, Tang & Yao gen. et sp. nov., is assigned to Phatnomatini (Tinginae), which is described from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. A parsimonious analysis based on 50 morphological characters with 26 terminals clarifies the phylogenetic status of the new fossils and examined relationships among the presently analysed genera of the family Tingidae. The resulting cladogram supporting Tingidae are reconfirmed as monophyletic and divided into four main clades, with relationships as follows: (Vianaidinae + ((Burmacader multivenosus + Burmavianaida anomalocapitata) + (Sinaldocader rasnitsyni + (Gyaclavator kohlsi + Tinginae + Cantacaderinae)))). Anterior length of bucculae distinctly projecting in front of head, sometimes in contact is not a synapomorphic character for Cantacaderinae, which evolves in parallel in Tinginae and Cantacaderinae.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yunzhi Yao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuanbeilu 105, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China; (Y.W.); (H.T.); (D.R.)
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Reconstructing the ecology of a Cretaceous cockroach: destructive and high-resolution imaging of its micro sensory organs. Naturwissenschaften 2021; 108:45. [PMID: 34581877 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-021-01755-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals highly depend on their sensory organs to detect information about their surrounding environment. Among animal sensory organs, those of insects have a notable ability to detect information despite their small size, which might be, therefore, one of the reasons for the evolutionary success of insects. However, insect sensory organs are seldom fossilized in sediments due to their small size and fragility. A potential solution for this problem is the study of exceptionally well-preserved fossil material from amber. Unfortunately, the resolution of existing non-destructive analysis is insufficient to observe details of these micro sensory organs even with amber preservation. Here, we focus on the analysis of the micro sensory organs of an extinct male cockroach (Huablattula hui Qiu et al., 2019) in Cretaceous amber by combining destructive and non-destructive methods. Compared to extant species inhabiting dark environments, H. hui has relatively large compound eyes, and all the antennal sensilla for detecting multimodal information observed here are fewer or smaller. The characteristics of these sensory organs support the diurnality of the bright habitats of H. hui in contrast to many extant cockroaches. Like extant male mantises, grooved basiconic type sensilla exist abundantly on the antenna of the fossilized specimen. The abundance of grooved basiconic sensilla in mantid males results from using sex pheromones, and therefore, H. hui may have likewise used mantis-like intersexual communication. These lines of evidence suggest that the ecology and behavior of Cretaceous cockroaches were more diverse than those of related extant species.
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Haug JT, Haug GT, Zippel A, van der Wal S, Müller P, Gröhn C, Wunderlich J, Hoffeins C, Hoffeins HW, Haug C. Changes in the Morphological Diversity of Larvae of Lance Lacewings, Mantis Lacewings and Their Closer Relatives over 100 Million Years. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12100860. [PMID: 34680629 PMCID: PMC8537262 DOI: 10.3390/insects12100860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neuroptera, the group of lacewings, comprises only about 6000 species in the modern fauna, but is generally assumed to have been more diverse and important in the past. A major factor of the modern-day ecological diversity of the group, and supposedly in the past as well, is represented by the highly specialised larval forms of lacewings. Quantitative analyses of the morphology of larvae revealed a loss of morphological diversity in several lineages. Here we explored the diversity of the larvae of mantis lacewings (Mantispidae), lance lacewings (Osmylidae), beaded lacewings (Berothidae and Rhachiberothidae, the latter potentially an ingroup of Berothidae), and pleasing lacewings (Dilaridae), as well as fossil larvae, preserved in amber, resembling these. We used shape analysis of the head capsule and stylets (pair of conjoined jaws) as a basis due to the high availability of this body region in extant and fossil specimens and the ecological importance of this region. The analysis revealed a rather constant morphological diversity in Berothidae. Mantispidae appears to have lost certain forms of larvae, but has seen a drastic increase of larval diversity after the Cretaceous; this is in contrast to a significant decrease in diversity in adult forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim T. Haug
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (J.T.H.); (G.T.H.); (A.Z.); (S.v.d.W.)
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
| | - Gideon T. Haug
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (J.T.H.); (G.T.H.); (A.Z.); (S.v.d.W.)
| | - Ana Zippel
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (J.T.H.); (G.T.H.); (A.Z.); (S.v.d.W.)
| | - Serita van der Wal
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (J.T.H.); (G.T.H.); (A.Z.); (S.v.d.W.)
| | - Patrick Müller
- Independent Researcher, Kreuzbergstr. 90, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany;
| | - Carsten Gröhn
- Independent Researcher, Bünebüttler Weg 7, 21509 Glinde, Germany;
| | - Jörg Wunderlich
- Independent Researcher, Oberer Haeuselbergweg 24, 69493 Hirschberg, Germany;
| | - Christel Hoffeins
- Independent Researcher, Liseistieg 10, 22149 Hamburg, Germany; (C.H.); (H.-W.H.)
| | - Hans-Werner Hoffeins
- Independent Researcher, Liseistieg 10, 22149 Hamburg, Germany; (C.H.); (H.-W.H.)
| | - Carolin Haug
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; (J.T.H.); (G.T.H.); (A.Z.); (S.v.d.W.)
- GeoBio-Center at LMU, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, 80333 München, Germany
- Correspondence:
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The first shrimp preserved in mid-cretaceous Kachin amber: systematics, palaeoecology, and taphonomy. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2021; 66:1723-1726. [PMID: 36654378 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2021.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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Yin ZW, Lü L, Yamamoto S, Thayer MK, Newton AF, Cai CY. Dasycerine rove beetles: Cretaceous diversification, phylogeny and historical biogeography (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Dasycerinae). Cladistics 2021; 37:185-210. [PMID: 34478187 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Within the hyperdiverse beetle family Staphylinidae, Dasycerinae is one of the smallest and most cryptic subfamilies, comprising a sole extant genus characterized by a latridiid beetle-like body form. Little has been known about their early diversification, character evolution, phylogeny and historical biogeography because of limited fossil material and lack of a phylogeny integrating extant and extinct representatives. Here we report an unexpectedly diverse dasycerine fauna from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar, including a new genus and four new species. To reconstruct the early evolutionary history of Dasycerinae, we present a phylogenetic framework of the subfamily based on a dataset integrating all extant and extinct taxa using parsimony, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods. †Cedasyrus gen. n., characterized by distinct sexual dimorphism in antennal and elytral lengths, is recovered as the basal-most lineage, sister to the remaining two extinct genera and all living Dasycerus species. †Vetudasycerus is recovered as sister to †Protodasycerus + Dasycerus. Among all extinct taxa, †Protodasycerus bears distinctly longer elytra, and appears to represent a transitional form from †Vetudasycerus to Dasycerus. Phylogenetic inferences and ancestral distribution reconstruction support an "Out-of-Orient" model for Dasycerinae. Either the Bering- or North Atlantic Land Bridge may have served as a passageway for dasycerine dispersal between Eurasian and North American continents. An elevation-reconstruction analysis indicated that the ancestor of the extant Dasycerus probably lived at a high altitude and stayed at this elevation through the end of the Miocene. We propose that the extinction of dasycerine ancestors living on the Tethyan islands at low altitude was likely caused by sea-level rise and climatic warming during the Late Cretaceous. The high-altitude areas might have played the role of refugia that harboured subalpine derivatives which eventually gave rise to the extant Dasycerus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Wei Yin
- Laboratory of Systematic Entomology, College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, 200234, China
| | - Liang Lü
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, 050024, China
| | - Shûhei Yamamoto
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, 7, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Margaret K Thayer
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, 7, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Alfred F Newton
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, 7, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Chen-Yang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.,School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol,, BS8 1TQ, UK
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Desutter-Grandcolas L, Hugel S, Nel A, Warren BH, Souza-Dias P, Chintauan-Marquier IC. Updated diagnoses for the cricket family Trigonidiidae (Insecta: Orthoptera: Grylloidea) and its subfamilies (Trigonidiinae, Nemobiinae), with a review of the fossil record. ZOOL ANZ 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Jouault C, Maréchal A, Condamine FL, Wang B, Nel A, Legendre F, Perrichot V. Including fossils in phylogeny: a glimpse into the evolution of the superfamily Evanioidea (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) under tip-dating and the fossilized birth–death process. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Using a fossilized birth–death model, a new phylogeny of the superfamily Evanioidea (including ensign wasps, nightshade wasps and hatchet wasps) is proposed, with estimates of divergence times for its constitutive families and for corroborating the monophyly of Evanioidea. Additionally, our Bayesian analyses demonstrate the monophyly of †Anomopterellidae, †Othniodellithidae, †Andreneliidae, Aulacidae, Gasteruptiida and Evaniidae, whereas †Praeaulacidae and †Baissidae appear to be paraphyletic. Vectevania vetula and Hyptiogastrites electrinus are transferred to Aulacidae. We estimate the divergence time of Evanioidea to be in the Late Triassic (~203 Mya). Additionally, three new othniodellithid wasps are described and figured from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber as the new genus Keratodellitha, with three new species: Keratodellitha anubis sp. nov., Keratodellitha basilisci sp. nov. and Keratodellitha kirin sp. nov. We also document a temporal shift in relative species richness between Ichneumonoidea and Evanioidea.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fabien L Condamine
- CNRS, UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l’Évolution de Montpellier, Place Eugène Bataillon, Montpellier, France
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - André Nel
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Legendre
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
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Guo Y, Shih C, Zhuo D, Ren D, Zhao Y, Gao T. The first queen-worker association for Cretaceous Formicidae: the winged caste of Haidomyrmex cerberus. Zookeys 2021; 1048:69-78. [PMID: 34305419 PMCID: PMC8280096 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1048.66920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Two queen ant specimens, one alate and one dealate, from mid-Cretaceous (Late Albian–Early Cenomanian) Burmese amber are herein reported as belonging Haidomyrmexcerberus Dlussky, 1996. This is the first discovery and documentation of an alate queen in Haidomyrmex. Compared with workers of Haidomyrmexcerberus, alate and dealate queens are larger in body size, have smaller compound eyes, a longer antennal scape, more complex mandibles, and a relatively large-sized metasoma. It is hypothesized that these differences are due to caste differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Guo
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China Capital Normal University Beijing China
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China Capital Normal University Beijing China.,Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA National Museum of Natural History Washington, DC United States of America
| | - De Zhuo
- Beijing Xiachong Amber Museum, 9 Shuanghe Middle Road, Beijing, 100023, China Beijing Xiachong Amber Museum Beijing China
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China Capital Normal University Beijing China
| | - Yunyun Zhao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China Capital Normal University Beijing China
| | - Taiping Gao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China Capital Normal University Beijing China
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Barrett
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
| | - Zerina Johanson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Sarah L Long
- Science Directorate, Natural History Museum, London, UK
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Badano D, Zhang Q, Fratini M, Maugeri L, Bukreeva I, Longo E, Wilde F, Yeates DK, Cerretti P. Discovery of Lebambromyia in Myanmar Cretaceous Amber: Phylogenetic and Biogeographic Implications (Insecta, Diptera, Phoroidea). INSECTS 2021; 12:354. [PMID: 33923404 PMCID: PMC8074229 DOI: 10.3390/insects12040354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Lebambromyia sacculifera sp. nov. is described from Late Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, integrating traditional observation techniques and X-ray phase contrast microtomography. Lebambromyia sacculifera is the second species of Lebambromyia after L. acrai Grimaldi and Cumming, described from Lebanese amber (Early Cretaceous), and the first record of this taxon from Myanmar amber, considerably extending the temporal and geographic range of this genus. The new specimen bears a previously undetected set of phylogenetically relevant characters such as a postpedicel sacculus and a prominent clypeus, which are shared with Ironomyiidae and Eumuscomorpha. Our cladistic analyses confirmed that Lebambromyia represented a distinct monophyletic lineage related to Platypezidae and Ironomyiidae, though its affinities are strongly influenced by the interpretation and coding of the enigmatic set of features characterizing these fossil flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Badano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Museum of Zoology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Valerio Massimo 6, 00162 Rome, Italy
| | - Qingqing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China;
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michela Fratini
- CNR-Nanotec (Rome Unit) c/o Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (L.M.); (I.B.)
| | - Laura Maugeri
- CNR-Nanotec (Rome Unit) c/o Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (L.M.); (I.B.)
| | - Inna Bukreeva
- CNR-Nanotec (Rome Unit) c/o Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (M.F.); (L.M.); (I.B.)
- P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr., 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Longo
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute of Materials Physics, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany; (E.L.); (F.W.)
| | - Fabian Wilde
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute of Materials Physics, Max-Planck-Strasse 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany; (E.L.); (F.W.)
| | - David K. Yeates
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO National Facilities and Collections, Black Mountain, Clunies Ross Street, Acton, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;
| | - Pierfilippo Cerretti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Museum of Zoology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Valerio Massimo 6, 00162 Rome, Italy
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO National Facilities and Collections, Black Mountain, Clunies Ross Street, Acton, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;
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A Bizarre Planthopper Nymph (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12040318. [PMID: 33918264 PMCID: PMC8066557 DOI: 10.3390/insects12040318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The fossil record of adult planthoppers is relatively rich, but the nymphs are rare and not well studied. Here, we describe a bizarre armoured planthopper nymph: Spinonympha shcherbakovi gen. et sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. The new genus and species is characterized by its large size, armoured body, extremely long rostrum, and leg structure. The fossil nymph cannot be attributed to any known planthopper family, but can be excluded from many families due to its large size and leg structure. The armoured body was probably developed for defence, and the extremely long rostrum indicates that, in the past, planthopper feeding on trees with thick and rough bark was more widespread than today. The new find reveals a new armoured morphotype previously unknown in planthopper nymphs. Abstract The fossil record of adult planthoppers is comparatively rich, but nymphs are rare and not well studied. Here, we describe a bizarre armoured planthopper nymph, Spinonympha shcherbakovi gen. et sp. nov., in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. The new genus is characterized by its large size, body armed with spines and tubercles, extremely long rostrum reaching well beyond the apex of the abdomen; profemur and mesofemur subcylindrical, covered with setae; protibia and mesotibia subquadrangular, densely covered with setae; protarsus and mesotarsus with two segments, tarsomere II longer and wider than I; metatrochanter swollen, metafemur subcylindrical, covered with short setae; metatibia subquadrangular, densely covered with short setae, without lateral spine and pectens without setae; metatarsus with three segments, and metatarsomere III extremely small. The fossil nymph cannot be attributed to any known planthopper family, but can be excluded from many families due to its large size and leg structure. The armoured body was probably developed for defence, and the extremely long rostrum indicates that, in the past, feeding on trees with thick and rough bark was more widespread than today. These features indicate that the new specimen represents a new armoured morphotype of planthopper nymph from the fossil record.
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Tihelka E, Li L, Fu Y, Su Y, Huang D, Cai C. Angiosperm pollinivory in a Cretaceous beetle. NATURE PLANTS 2021; 7:445-451. [PMID: 33846595 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-021-00893-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite the crucial importance of flower-visiting insects in modern ecosystems, there is little fossil evidence on the origins of angiosperm pollination. Most reports of pollination in the Mesozoic fossil record have been based on the co-occurrence of the purported pollinators with pollen grains and assumed morphological adaptations for vectoring pollen. Here, we describe an exceptionally preserved short-winged flower beetle (Cucujoidea: Kateretidae) from mid-Cretaceous amber, Pelretes vivificus gen. et sp. nov., associated with pollen aggregations and coprolites consisting mainly of pollen, providing direct evidence of pollen-feeding in a Cretaceous beetle and confirming that diverse beetle lineages visited early angiosperms in the Cretaceous. The exquisite preservation of our fossil permits the identification of the pollen grains as Tricolpopollenites (Asteridae or Rosidae), representing a record of flower beetle pollination of a group of derived angiosperms in the Mesozoic and suggesting that potentially diverse beetle lineages visited early angiosperms by the mid-Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Tihelka
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Liqin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanzhe Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Yitong Su
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Diying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Chenyang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Centre for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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Bolotov IN, Aksenova OV, Vikhrev IV, Konopleva ES, Chapurina YE, Kondakov AV. A new fossil piddock (Bivalvia: Pholadidae) may indicate estuarine to freshwater environments near Cretaceous amber-producing forests in Myanmar. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6646. [PMID: 33758318 PMCID: PMC7988128 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86241-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The lower Cenomanian Kachin amber from Myanmar contains a species-rich assemblage with numerous plant and animal fossils. Terrestrial and, to a lesser degree, freshwater species predominate in this assemblage, while a few taxa with marine affinities were also discovered, e.g. isopods, ammonites, and piddocks. Here, we describe the Kachin amber piddock †Palaeolignopholas kachinensis gen. & sp. nov. It appears to be an ancestral stem lineage of the recent Lignopholas piddocks, which are estuarine to freshwater bivalves, boring into wood and mudstone rocks. Frequent occurrences and high abundance of †Palaeolignopholas borings and preserved shells in the Kachin amber could indicate that the resin-producing forest was partly situated near a downstream (estuarine to freshwater) section of a river. Multiple records of freshwater invertebrates (caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies, odonates, and chironomids) in this amber could also manifest in favor of our paleo-environmental reconstruction, although a variety of local freshwater environments is known to occur in coastal settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan N Bolotov
- Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia.
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia.
| | - Olga V Aksenova
- Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ilya V Vikhrev
- Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Ekaterina S Konopleva
- Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Yulia E Chapurina
- Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
| | - Alexander V Kondakov
- Northern Arctic Federal University, Northern Dvina Emb. 17, 163002, Arkhangelsk, Russia
- N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000, Arkhangelsk, Russia
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Baranov VA, Wang Y, Gašparič R, Wedmann S, Haug JT. Eco-morphological diversity of larvae of soldier flies and their closest relatives in deep time. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10356. [PMID: 33312767 PMCID: PMC7706506 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Stratiomyomorpha (soldier flies and allies) is an ingroup of Diptera, with a fossil record stretching back to the Early Cretaceous (the Barremian, about 125 MYA). Stratiomyomorpha includes at least 3,000 species in the modern fauna, with many species being crucial for ecosystem functions, especially as saprophages. Larvae of many stratiomyomorphans are especially important as scavengers and saproxyls in modern ecosystems. Yet, fossil larvae of the group are extremely scarce. Here we present 23 new records of fossil stratiomyomorphan larvae, representing six discrete morphotypes. Specimens originate from Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, Eocene Baltic amber, Miocene Dominican amber, and compression fossils from the Eocene of Messel (Germany) and the Miocene of Slovenia. We discuss the implications of these new records for our understanding of stratiomyomorphan ecomorphology in deep time as well as their palaeoecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor A. Baranov
- Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Bayern, Germany
| | - Yinan Wang
- Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences, Logan, UT, USA
| | | | - Sonja Wedmann
- Department of Messel Research and Mammalogy, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Joachim T. Haug
- Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Bayern, Germany
- GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Bayern, Germany
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Wang H, Schädel M, Sames B, Horne DJ. New record of podocopid ostracods from Cretaceous amber. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10134. [PMID: 33173617 PMCID: PMC7594633 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Burmese Cretaceous amber (∼99 Ma, Myanmar) is famous for the preservation of a wide range of fauna and flora, including representatives of marine, freshwater and terrestrial groups. Here, we report on three ostracod specimens, that came visible as syninclusions to an aquatic isopod. The three specimens represent three different taxa, that were found preserved in a single piece of amber. One of the described specimens was studied using µCT scanning data. On the basis of general carapace morphology we assign all three to the group Podocopida, and (tentatively) its ingroup Cypridocopina. A lack of visibility of more particular diagnostic features such as adductor muscle scars and details of the marginal zone precludes a further identification, but we discuss possible affinities with either the marine-brackish group Pontocypridoidea or the non-marine group Cypridoidea. The taphonomy indicates that the studied ostracods had been subject to limited (if any) post-mortem transport, which could be consistent with marginal marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Mario Schädel
- Zoomorphology group, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Benjamin Sames
- Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - David J Horne
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Schmidt AR, Regalado L, Weststrand S, Korall P, Sadowski EM, Schneider H, Jansen E, Bechteler J, Krings M, Müller P, Wang B, Wang X, Rikkinen J, Seyfullah LJ. Selaginella was hyperdiverse already in the Cretaceous. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:1176-1182. [PMID: 32282937 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Schmidt
- Department of Geobiology, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ledis Regalado
- Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, Carretera de Varona 11835 e/Oriente y Lindero, La Habana 19, CP 11900, Calabazar, Boyeros, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Stina Weststrand
- Gothenburg Botanical Garden, Carl Skottsbergs gata 22A, 413 19, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Petra Korall
- Systematic Biology, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eva-Maria Sadowski
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Harald Schneider
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Menglun, 666303, Yunnan, China
| | - Eva Jansen
- Department of Geobiology, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Bechteler
- Nees-Institut für Biodiversität der Pflanzen, Universität Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 170, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Krings
- SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333, Munich, Germany
- Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Patrick Müller
- Amber Study Group, c/o Geological-Palaeontological Museum (CeNak) of the University of Hamburg, Bundesstraße 55, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Jouko Rikkinen
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, PO Box 7, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leyla J Seyfullah
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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50
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Peris D, Kundrata R, Delclòs X, Mähler B, Ivie MA, Rust J, Labandeira CC. Unlocking the mystery of the mid-Cretaceous Mysteriomorphidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) and modalities in transiting from gymnosperms to angiosperms. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16854. [PMID: 33033283 PMCID: PMC7545178 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73724-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The monospecific family Mysteriomorphidae was recently described based on two fossil specimens from the Late Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar. The family was placed in Elateriformia incertae sedis without a clear list of characters that define it either in Elateroidea or in Byrrhoidea. We report here four additional adult specimens of the same lineage, one of which was described using a successful reconstruction from a CT-scan analysis to better observe some characters. The new specimens enabled us to considerably improve the diagnosis of Mysteriomorphidae. The family is definitively placed in Elateroidea, and we hypothesize its close relationship with Elateridae. Similarly, there are other fossil families of beetles that are exclusively described from Cretaceous ambers. These lineages may have been evolutionarily replaced by the ecological revolution launched by angiosperms that introduced new co-associations with taxa. These data indicate a macroevolutionary pattern of replacement that could be extended to other insect groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Peris
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Robin Kundrata
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Xavier Delclòs
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bastian Mähler
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael A Ivie
- Montana Entomology Collection, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Jes Rust
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Bonn, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - 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
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
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