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Jiang Y, Deng X, Shih C, Zhao Y, Ren D, Zhao Z. Primitive new termites (Blattodea, Termitoidae) in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar. Zookeys 2024; 1197:115-126. [PMID: 38651112 PMCID: PMC11033552 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1197.114452] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Mastotermitidae, the first-diverging extant family of termites, has only one relic extant species; however, this family had greater richness during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Fossil termites from the Cretaceous provide information on the early evolution of termites and the transition between extinct families. Herein, two new Mastotermitidae species found in upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Kachin amber are reported. One is a female imago described as Angustitermesreflexusgen. et sp. nov. and assigned to the subfamily Mastotermitinae. The other is Mastotermesreticulatussp. nov., which is described from an isolated forewing. With the comparison especially of the antenna and venation, these new mastotermitids further increase our knowledge of the diversity and morphology of Mastotermitidae during the Mesozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Jiang
- Fishery Resource and Environment Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xinru Deng
- Fishery Resource and Environment Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashington, DCUnited States of America
| | - Yunyun Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaChinese Academy of Fishery SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Zhipeng Zhao
- Fishery Resource and Environment Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
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2
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Chen Y, Peng Z, Liu S, Shi C, Ren D, Yang Q. One New Genus and Four New Species of Beaded Lacewings (Neuroptera: Berothidae) from Upper Cretaceous Myanmar Amber. INSECTS 2024; 15:259. [PMID: 38667389 PMCID: PMC11050566 DOI: 10.3390/insects15040259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, as more and more fossil species of berothids from Myanmar have been reported, the species and morphological diversity of Berothidae continues to increase. Herein, one new species of Berothidae, Aggregataberotha paucipunctata sp. nov., and one new genus, Sejunctaberotha gen. nov., with three new species (Sejunctaberotha sphaerica gen. et sp. nov., Sejunctaberotha tenuis gen. et sp. nov. and Sejunctaberotha transversa gen. et sp. nov.) are described from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber. A. paucipunctata sp. nov. is assigned to Aggregataberotha Wang, Huang & Wang, 2022, based on the characteristics of the similar female terminalia and wing venation, but can be different from A. punctate regarding the pale pterostigma and a few detailed features of wing venation. Additionally, representatives of Sejunctaberotha gen. nov. are remarkably different from the representatives of the other genera within Berothidae in the configuration of wing venation. For example, Sejunctaberotha gen. nov. has simple subcostal veinlets, obviously free Sc and RA at the apex present both in fore- and hindwings, a single ra-rp crossvein connecting the RA with RP3, a single rp-m crossvein locating before the origin of the MP, a simple CuP and no gradate veins. Interestingly, in one of the specimens of Sejunctaberotha gen. nov., a pair of spherical bulges was found at the end of the antennae. The new genus Sejunctaberotha gen. nov. suggests that Berothidae had a higher potential diversification during the Mesozoic Era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, #230 Waihuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510006, China (Z.P.)
| | - Zihao Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, #230 Waihuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510006, China (Z.P.)
| | - Siting Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, #230 Waihuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510006, China (Z.P.)
| | - Chaofan Shi
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Xisanhuanbeilu 105, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, China;
| | - Qiang Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, #230 Waihuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510006, China (Z.P.)
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3
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Chen C, Peng Z, Shi C, Ren D, Yang Q. New findings of dipteromantispids (Insecta: Neuroptera) from Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38567519 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25435] [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: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
A new genus and two new species, Tholimantispa zuoae gen. et sp. nov. and Mantispidipterella curvis sp. nov. are described from the Upper Cretaceous of northern Myanmar amber collected in 2015. Tholimantispa zuoae gen. et sp. nov. is characterized by its distinct pterostigma, broad costal space, bifurcate humeral veinlets, and so forth, and Mantispidipterella curvis sp. nov. is different from Mantispidipterella longissima Liu, Lu et Zhang, 2017 in its ScP (subcosta posterior) distinctly curved at fusing point with RA (radius anterior), RP (radius posterior) abruptly and angularly curved at ra-rp (crossvein between RA and RP), AA3 (third branches of the anterior anal vein) present. The new fossil species enrich the diversity of Dipteromantispidae in the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuixia Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Zihao Peng
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Chaofan Shi
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Qiang Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Key Laboratory of Conservation and Application in Biodiversity of South China, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, PR China
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4
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Mizumoto N, Hellemans S, Engel MS, Bourguignon T, Buček A. Extinct and extant termites reveal the fidelity of behavior fossilization in amber. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308922121. [PMID: 38442141 PMCID: PMC10963005 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308922121] [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: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Fossils encompassing multiple individuals provide rare direct evidence of behavioral interactions among extinct organisms. However, the fossilization process can alter the spatial relationship between individuals and hinder behavioral reconstruction. Here, we report a Baltic amber inclusion preserving a female-male pair of the extinct termite species Electrotermes affinis. The head-to-abdomen contact in the fossilized pair resembles the tandem courtship behavior of extant termites, although their parallel body alignment differs from the linear alignment typical of tandem runs. To solve this inconsistency, we simulated the first stage of amber formation, the immobilization of captured organisms, by exposing living termite tandems to sticky surfaces. We found that the posture of the fossilized pair matches trapped tandems and differs from untrapped tandems. Thus, the fossilized pair likely is a tandem running pair, representing the direct evidence of the mating behavior of extinct termites. Furthermore, by comparing the postures of partners on a sticky surface and in the amber inclusion, we estimated that the male likely performed the leader role in the fossilized tandem. Our results demonstrate that past behavioral interactions can be reconstructed despite the spatial distortion of body poses during fossilization. Our taphonomic approach demonstrates how certain behaviors can be inferred from fossil occurrences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuaki Mizumoto
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa904-0495, Japan
- Computational Neuroethology Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa904-0495, Japan
- Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL36849
| | - Simon Hellemans
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa904-0495, Japan
| | - Michael S. Engel
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY10024-5192
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa904-0495, Japan
| | - Aleš Buček
- Evolutionary Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa904-0495, Japan
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, České BudějoviceCZ-37005, Czech Republic
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5
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Zhang Y, Rasnitsyn AP, Zhang W, Song F, Shih C, Ren D, Wang Y, Li H, Gao T. Stem chewing lice on Cretaceous feathers preserved in amber. Curr Biol 2024; 34:916-922.e1. [PMID: 38320551 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.027] [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: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Phthirapteran lice (true lice or parasitic lice) are a major group of ectoparasitic insects living on their bird or mammal hosts during their entire life cycle.1 Due to their highly specialized lifestyles, they are extremely poorly represented in fossil records.2 Molecular clock estimations have speculated extensively about the origin time of parasitic lice,3,4 yet none have been confirmed unequivocally. Herein, we report a new family of stem chewing lice, based on two adult insects associated with several semiplume feathers preserved within a piece of Kachin amber from the mid-Cretaceous. They display some defining characteristics of the Amblycera, an early-diverging lineage of the crown lice group. These features include a wingless body, chewing mouthparts, narrow and small thorax, and short tarsus with elongated euplantulae. Our phylogenetic analysis places the new taxa in the Amblycera, and the discovery thus pushes back the lice fossil records by at least 55 million years. Furthermore, the new specimens show primitive characters such as compressed and club-shaped terminal segments of antennae, maxillary and labial palps, and unmodified femora of hind legs, providing key information for the evolutionary relationship between free-living booklice and parasitic lice. This suggests that some ectoparasitic characters defining the crown lice group might have evolved among amblyceran and non-amblyceran lice in parallel. These newly described fossil specimens imply at least a Cretaceous age of Phthiraptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Alexandr P Rasnitsyn
- Borissiak Palaeontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117647, Russia; Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Weiwei Zhang
- Three Gorges Entomological Museum, Chongqing 400015, China
| | - Fan Song
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China; Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Yongjie Wang
- Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China.
| | - Hu Li
- College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Taiping Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China.
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Zheng C, Cao C, Gu JJ. A new genus and a new species of pygmy mole cricket from mid-Cretaceous amber in North Myanmar (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tridactyloidea). Zootaxa 2023; 5339:296-300. [PMID: 38221050 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5339.3.7] [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: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
This paper describes a new genus with a new species from Burmese amber, namely: Latedactylus longapedi gen. et sp. nov. (Tridactylidae: Tridactylinae). L. longapedi gen. et sp. nov. is erected based on the cylindrical second segment of cercus longer and distinctly slender than the first; metatibia without swimming plates; metatarsus about three times as long as apical spurs of metatibia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjie Zheng
- College of Agronomy; Sichuan Agricultural University; Chengdu 611130; China.
| | - Chengquan Cao
- College of Life Sciences; Leshan Normal University; Leshan 614004; China.
| | - Jun-Jie Gu
- College of Agronomy; Sichuan Agricultural University; Chengdu 611130; China.
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7
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Fan S, Gu JJ, Cao C. A new species of the genus Burmadactylus Heads, 2009 from mid-Cretaceous amber in north Myanmar (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tridactyloidea). Zootaxa 2023; 5306:595-598. [PMID: 37518664 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5306.5.7] [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: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes a new species of the genus Burmadactylus Heads, 2009 (Tridactylidae: Dentridactylinae) from Burmese amber, namely: Burmadactylus tenuicerci sp. nov. This new species is similar to Burmadactylus grimaldi Heads, 2009, but differs from latter by mesotibia basally inflated and almost as long as mesofemur; the second segment of cercus distinctly slender; paraproctal lobe covered with sparse and slender setae, one of the setae near the apex distinct thick and long.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilv Fan
- College of Agronomy; Sichuan Agricultural University; China.
| | - Jun-Jie Gu
- College of Life Sciences; Leshan Normal University; China.
| | - Chengquan Cao
- College of Life Sciences; Leshan Normal University; China.
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8
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Insect J3-K1 assemblage from Tasgorosay in Kazakhstan was dominated by cockroaches. Biologia (Bratisl) 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01307-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Gu JJ, Zheng CJ, Ren D, Cao CQ, Yue YL. Two New Species of Ripipterygidae (Orthoptera, Tridactyloidea) from Mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar with a Key to the Genera of Tridactyloidea in Amber. INSECTS 2022; 13:979. [PMID: 36354803 PMCID: PMC9699180 DOI: 10.3390/insects13110979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The abundance of insects in Burmese amber illustrates a highly diverse orthoptera community of the mid-Cretaceous, but the records of ripipterygids are relatively rare. Here, we reviewed the genus of Magnidactylus (Xu, Fang and Jarzembowski, 2020) and transfered it from Tridactylidae to Ripipterygidae. Based on four ambers specimens collected from northern Myanmar, two new species, Magnidactylusmirus sp. nov. and Magnidactylusgracilis sp. nov., wereerected. M.mirus sp. nov. can be characterized by its basal segment and apical segment of paraproctal lobes, which are equally thick and clavate. M.gracilis sp. nov. can be characterized by its apical segment of paraproctal lobes, which are distinctly swollen. Additionally, in order to facilitate the classification of amber specimens of Tridactyloidea, a key to the genera ofambers in this superfamily is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Gu
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Cheng-Jie Zheng
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Cheng-Quan Cao
- College of Life Sciences, Leshan Normal University, Leshan 614004, China
| | - Yan-Li Yue
- College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
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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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Káčerová J, Azar D. Mesozoic cockroaches (Insecta: Mesoblattinidae, Blattulidae) from shale and dysodile of Lebanon. Biologia (Bratisl) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-022-01209-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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12
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Li S, Yoshizawa K, Wang Q, Ren D, Bai M, Yao Y. New Genus and Species of Empheriidae (Insecta: Psocodea: Trogiomorpha) and Their Implication for the Phylogeny of Infraorder Atropetae. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.907903] [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] Open
Abstract
Two species of psocids discovered from the Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, Latempheria kachinensis Li, Yoshizawa, and Yao, gen. et sp. nov. and Burmempheria curvatavena Li, Yoshizawa, and Yao, sp. nov., are described and assigned to the Empheriidae (Trogiomorpha: Atropetae) family. A phylogenetic analysis of the infraorder Atropetae is conducted based on 38 morphological characters of three outgroups and fifteen ingroups, which supported the monophyly of Atropetae including fossil and extant taxa. In the phylogenetic result, all the genera of fossil families Empheriidae and Archaeatropidae form a monophyletic group, sister to the extant members of Atropetae. The two fossil families also share a lot of similarities in morphology, locality, and geological period. Recently discovered fossil species exhibited combined morphological characters of both families. Based on these observations and the results of the phylogenetic analysis, Archaeatropidae is treated here as a new junior synonym of Empheriidae.
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13
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Ecological radiations of insects in the Mesozoic. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:529-540. [PMID: 35287981 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The Mesozoic is a key era for the rise of the modern insect fauna. Among the most important evolutionary events in Mesozoic insects are the radiation of holometabolous insects, the origin of eusocial and parasitoid insects, diversification of pollinating insects, and development of advanced mimicry and camouflage. These events are closely associated with the diversification of insect ecological behaviors and colonization of new ecospaces. At the same time, insects had evolved more complex and closer ecological associations with various plants and animals. Mesozoic insects played a key and underappreciated ecological role in reconstructing and maintaining terrestrial ecosystems. A greater understanding of the history of insects may help to mitigate future changes in insect diversity and abundance.
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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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15
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Du S, Gu L, Engel MS, Ren D, Yao Y. Morphological Phylogeny of New Cretaceous Fossils Elucidates the Early History of Soil Dwelling Among Bugs. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.908044] [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] Open
Abstract
Burrowing bugs are distinctive, beetle-like insects of the pentatomoid family Cydnidae, noteworthy for their morphological specializations for digging and a hemiedaphic life history. However, less is known about their biological significance and the early origin of soil dwelling. Direct fossil evidence illuminating the evolutionary history of soil dwelling in cydnids is extremely rare. In this study, we report four new species of the burrowing bug subfamily Amnestinae from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, including two exhibiting specialized bulldozing and digging morphological traits on the anterior of the head and forelegs. Associated morphological features and phylogenetic placement indicate that Acanthamnestus represents the earliest unequivocal soil-dwelling cydnids and pushes back the geological record of hemiedaphic true bugs to 99 Ma. Environmental evidence, the distribution of host plants, and the fossils provide a new window for understanding the early origin of soil habits in Amnestinae and may be linked to the appearance of Moraceae.
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Buček A, Wang M, Šobotník J, Hellemans S, Sillam-Dussès D, Mizumoto N, Stiblík P, Clitheroe C, Lu T, González Plaza JJ, Mohagan A, Rafanomezantsoa JJ, Fisher B, Engel MS, Roisin Y, Evans TA, Scheffrahn R, Bourguignon T. Molecular phylogeny reveals the past transoceanic voyages of drywood termites (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae). Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6577226. [PMID: 35511685 PMCID: PMC9113494 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Termites are major decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems and the second most diverse lineage of social insects. The Kalotermitidae form the second-largest termite family and are distributed across tropical and subtropical ecosystems, where they typically live in small colonies confined to single wood items inhabited by individuals with no foraging abilities. How the Kalotermitidae have acquired their global distribution patterns remains unresolved. Similarly, it is unclear whether foraging is ancestral to Kalotermitidae or was secondarily acquired in a few species. These questions can be addressed in a phylogenetic framework. We inferred time-calibrated phylogenetic trees of Kalotermitidae using mitochondrial genomes of ∼120 species, about 27% of kalotermitid diversity, including representatives of 21 of the 23 kalotermitid genera. Our mitochondrial genome phylogenetic trees were corroborated by phylogenies inferred from nuclear ultraconserved elements derived from a subset of 28 species. We found that extant kalotermitids shared a common ancestor 84 Ma (75–93 Ma 95% highest posterior density), indicating that a few disjunctions among early-diverging kalotermitid lineages may predate Gondwana breakup. However, most of the ∼40 disjunctions among biogeographic realms were dated at <50 Ma, indicating that transoceanic dispersals, and more recently human-mediated dispersals, have been the major drivers of the global distribution of Kalotermitidae. Our phylogeny also revealed that the capacity to forage is often found in early-diverging kalotermitid lineages, implying the ancestors of Kalotermitidae were able to forage among multiple wood pieces. Our phylogenetic estimates provide a platform for critical taxonomic revision and future comparative analyses of Kalotermitidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Buček
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - M Wang
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - J Šobotník
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S Hellemans
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - D Sillam-Dussès
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.,Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
| | - N Mizumoto
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - P Stiblík
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - C Clitheroe
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - T Lu
- Tomer Lu, Total Hadbara Israel
| | - J J González Plaza
- International Research Centre in Critical Raw Materials-ICCRAM, University of Burgos, Plaza Misael Bañuelos s/n, 09001 Burgos, Spain
| | - A Mohagan
- Center for Biodiversity Research and Extension in Mindanao, Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon 8710, Philippines.,Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon 8710, Philippines
| | - J J Rafanomezantsoa
- Madagascar Biodiversity Center, Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - B Fisher
- Madagascar Biodiversity Center, Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,California Academy of the Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - M S Engel
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.,Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - Y Roisin
- Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - T A Evans
- School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Perth WA 6009, Australia
| | - R Scheffrahn
- Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, 3205 College Avenue, Davie, Florida 33314, USA
| | - T Bourguignon
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan.,Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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17
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Chen G, Xiao L, Liang J, Shih C, Ren D. A new cockroach (Blattodea, Corydiidae) with pectinate antennae from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Zookeys 2021; 1060:155-169. [PMID: 34690506 PMCID: PMC8486729 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1060.67216] [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: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of fossil cockroach, Fragosublattapectinata gen. et sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new species is assigned to the family Corydiidae based on the following combination of characters: pronotum with tubercles, tegmina obovate with smallish anal region and spinules on the antero-ventral margin of the front femur (type C1). The new species is the second reported cockroach with ramified antennae. This finding broadens the diversity of Blattodea in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and provides further evidence of convergent evolution for antennal structures among different insect lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanyu Chen
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lifang Xiao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Junhui Liang
- Tianjin Natural History Museum, 31 Youyi Road, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300203, ChinaTianjin Natural History MuseumTianjinChina
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013–7012, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashingtonUnited States of America
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100048, ChinaCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
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18
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Qin Z, Zhao Q, Choiniere JN, Clark JM, Benton MJ, Xu X. Growth and miniaturization among alvarezsauroid dinosaurs. Curr Biol 2021; 31:3687-3693.e5. [PMID: 34233160 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Sustained miniaturization, here defined as a drop in body size of at least two orders of magnitude from ancestors to descendants, is a widespread and important phenomenon in animals,1-3 but among dinosaurs, miniaturization occurred only rarely, once in the lineage leading to birds and once in the Alvarezsauroidea,1,3-5 one of the most bizarre theropod groups.1,5-7 Miniaturization and powered flight are intimately linked in avialan theropods,3,5,6,8-11 but the causes and patterns of body size reduction are less clear in the non-volant Alvarezsauroidea.1,5,6,12,13 Here, we present results from analyses on a comprehensive dataset, which not only includes new data from early-branching alvarezsauroids but also considers the ontogenetic effect based on histological data. Our analyses show that alvarezsauroid body mass underwent rapid miniaturization from around 110 to 85 mya and that there was a phylogenetic radiation of small-sized alvarezsauroids in the Late Cretaceous. Our analyses also indicate that growth strategies were highly variable among alvarezsauroids, with significant differences among extremely small taxa. The suggested alvarezsauroid miniaturization and associated phylogenetic radiation are coincident with the emergence of ants and termites, and combining previous functional morphological data, our study suggests that alvarezsauroid miniaturization might have been driven by ecological changes during the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, more specifically by a shift to the myrmecophagous ecological niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichuan Qin
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Qi Zhao
- Key Laboratory for the Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; CAS Center of Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Jonah N Choiniere
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - James M Clark
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael J Benton
- School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory for the Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; CAS Center of Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing 100044, China.
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19
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Guo X, Selden PA, Ren D. New specimens from Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber illuminate the phylogenetic placement of Lagonomegopidae (Arachnida: Araneae). Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
New lagonomegopid spiders are described from Mid-Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber. Two new genera and species based on single specimens, Scopomegops fax gen. & sp. nov. and Hiatomegops spinalis gen. & sp. nov. are described. Two specimens belonging to Lineaburmops beigeli are further described. Additionally, after re-examining the holotype of Odontomegops titan, a detailed description of its basal ventral abdomen is added here. A phylogenetic analysis was performed to investigate the phylogenetic placement of Lagonomegopidae. A matrix of 79 morphological characters, scored for six lagonomegopid taxa and 26 non-lagonomegopid taxa, was analysed through parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic inference. Our results recover extant Palpimanoidea as a monophyletic group and partly suggest that Lagonomegopidae is the sister-group to extant Palpimanoidea. The external sexual organs, retrolateral tibial apophysis on the male palp and tracheal spiracle in lagonomegopids are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangbo Guo
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University , Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing , China
| | - Paul A Selden
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University , Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing , China
- Department of Geology, University of Kansas , Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence KS , USA
- Natural History Museum , London , UK
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University , Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing , China
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20
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Chouvenc T, Šobotník J, Engel MS, Bourguignon T. Termite evolution: mutualistic associations, key innovations, and the rise of Termitidae. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:2749-2769. [PMID: 33388854 PMCID: PMC11071720 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03728-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Termites are a clade of eusocial wood-feeding roaches with > 3000 described species. Eusociality emerged ~ 150 million years ago in the ancestor of modern termites, which, since then, have acquired and sometimes lost a series of adaptive traits defining of their evolution. Termites primarily feed on wood, and digest cellulose in association with their obligatory nutritional mutualistic gut microbes. Recent advances in our understanding of termite phylogenetic relationships have served to provide a tentative timeline for the emergence of innovative traits and their consequences on the ecological success of termites. While all "lower" termites rely on cellulolytic protists to digest wood, "higher" termites (Termitidae), which comprise ~ 70% of termite species, do not rely on protists for digestion. The loss of protists in Termitidae was a critical evolutionary step that fostered the emergence of novel traits, resulting in a diversification of morphology, diets, and niches to an extent unattained by "lower" termites. However, the mechanisms that led to the initial loss of protists and the succession of events that took place in the termite gut remain speculative. In this review, we provide an overview of the key innovative traits acquired by termites during their evolution, which ultimately set the stage for the emergence of "higher" termites. We then discuss two hypotheses concerning the loss of protists in Termitidae, either through an externalization of the digestion or a dietary transition. Finally, we argue that many aspects of termite evolution remain speculative, as most termite biological diversity and evolutionary trajectories have yet to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Chouvenc
- Entomology and Nematology Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, Ft Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, USA.
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1501 Crestline Drive, Suite 140, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa, Japan.
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21
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Hsiao Y, Li Y, Ren D, Pang H. Morphological phylogenetics provide new insights into the classification and evolution of fossil soldier beetles from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Cantharidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Cantharidae is a diverse group of soft-bodied beetles and frequently occurs in the Mid-Cretaceous (c. 99 Mya) amber of Myanmar. In the present paper, three new soldier beetles, Cretocantharis veda gen. & sp. nov., Palaeocantharispanna gen. & sp. nov. and Hukawngichthyurus maha sp. nov. are reported. A phylogenetic reconstruction of Cantharidae, including all extant subfamilies and tribes, corroborates a distinct lineage comprising cantharine-like cantharids from Burmese amber as sister to Silini (Silinae), revealing that the current subfamilial placement is probably inadequate. Together with our results and recent molecular phylogenetic frameworks, it reveals that subfamilies of Cantharidae evolved during the Cretaceous period and highlights a probable Gondwanan ancestry of main cantharid groups. Our topology also proposes that the systematically controversial tribe Tytthonyxini of Silinae constitutes an independent clade sister to Malthininae, rather than the component of Silinae. Furthermore, Archaeomalthodes rosetta, previously placed in Malthininae, is recovered as a member of Dysmorphocerinae, representing the oldest fossil record for this subfamily and enhancing the Gondwanan origin hypothesis of Burmese amber biota. The previous interpretation of reticulated elytra as a lycid-mimicry for the Cretaceous cantharid fossils and pleisiomorphy of Cantharidae are challenged and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hsiao
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Yun Li
- Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Pang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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22
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Wu Q, Yang H, Shih C, Ren D, Zhao Y, Gao T. Vespids from the mid-Cretaceous with club-shaped antennae provide new evidence about the intrafamiliar relationships of Vespidae. Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Three new species of wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber, with club-shaped antennae, are assigned to Archaeovespa gen. nov. and provide morphological information for new phylogenetic analyses of Vespidae. Phylogenetic results suggest that Archaeovespa has more affinities with Masarinae than with Protovespinae and, along with Masarinae, composes the sister clade to Polistinae, Eumeninae, Vespinae and Stenogastrinae. New findings indicate that the antennal morphologies of Vespidae diversified significantly during or before the mid-Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Wu
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Hongru Yang
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, China
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Yunyun Zhao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Taiping Gao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, China
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23
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Shi C, Yang Q, Shih C, Labandeira CC, Pang H, Ren D. Cretaceous mantid lacewings with specialized raptorial forelegs illuminate modification of prey capture (Insecta: Neuroptera). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
The Mantispidae (Neuroptera), commonly known as mantid lacewings or mantispids, are characterized by raptorial forelegs used by adults for predation. They have a fossil history extending to the Early Jurassic. During the past 180 Myr, the lineage has undergone significant evolutionary transformation, exhibiting an elevated diversity in morphology yet retaining the same overall ground plan. Although raptorial foreleg morphology and capture behaviour are well documented in extant insects, they are poorly known for premodern lineages, attributable to the scarcity and poor preservation of fossils. Here, we report two new genera and species of Mantispidae from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar (Burmese) amber. Both taxa have highly specialized raptorial forelegs and highlight modification of capture strategy in Cretaceous Mantispidae. The foreleg of both species has one major spine that is the same length as the foretibia on the ventral surface of the forefemur, which faces the foretibia with a row of robust setae. The two new amber mantid lacewings provide structural and functional indications that represent an extinct mode of capture strategy. The new findings reveal the presence of a geochronologically rapid diversification of Mantispidae during the Early Cretaceous, thereby illuminating the varied morphologies involved in prey-capture strategies integral to the early evolution of mantispids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaofan Shi
- School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Geodynamics and Geohazards, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources & Geological Processes, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiang Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Conrad C Labandeira
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Hong Pang
- School of Ecology/Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, The Museum of Biology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
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24
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Cao H, Boudinot BE, Shih C, Ren D, Gao T. Cretaceous ants shed new light on the origins of worker polymorphism. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2020; 63:1085-1088. [PMID: 32170626 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-019-1617-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Huijia Cao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
| | | | - Chungkun Shih
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20013-7012, USA
| | - Dong Ren
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China.
| | - Taiping Gao
- College of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China.
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