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Schultz TR, Sosa-Calvo J, Kweskin MP, Lloyd MW, Dentinger B, Kooij PW, Vellinga EC, Rehner SA, Rodrigues A, Montoya QV, Fernández-Marín H, Ješovnik A, Niskanen T, Liimatainen K, Leal-Dutra CA, Solomon SE, Gerardo NM, Currie CR, Bacci M, Vasconcelos HL, Rabeling C, Faircloth BC, Doyle VP. The coevolution of fungus-ant agriculture. Science 2024; 386:105-110. [PMID: 39361762 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn7179] [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: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024]
Abstract
Fungus-farming ants cultivate multiple lineages of fungi for food, but, because fungal cultivar relationships are largely unresolved, the history of fungus-ant coevolution remains poorly known. We designed probes targeting >2000 gene regions to generate a dated evolutionary tree for 475 fungi and combined it with a similarly generated tree for 276 ants. We found that fungus-ant agriculture originated ~66 million years ago when the end-of-Cretaceous asteroid impact temporarily interrupted photosynthesis, causing global mass extinctions but favoring the proliferation of fungi. Subsequently, ~27 million years ago, one ancestral fungal cultivar population became domesticated, i.e., obligately mutualistic, when seasonally dry habitats expanded in South America, likely isolating the cultivar population from its free-living, wet forest-dwelling conspecifics. By revealing these and other major transitions in fungus-ant coevolution, our results clarify the historical processes that shaped a model system for nonhuman agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted R Schultz
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Matthew P Kweskin
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michael W Lloyd
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Bryn Dentinger
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Pepijn W Kooij
- Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, UK
- Institute of Biosciences, Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Else C Vellinga
- University Herbarium, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Stephen A Rehner
- Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory, US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Andre Rodrigues
- Institute of Biosciences, Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Quimi V Montoya
- Institute of Biosciences, Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hermógenes Fernández-Marín
- Centro de Biodiversidad y Descubrimiento de Drogas, Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas y Servicios de Alta Tecnología (INDICASAT AIP), Clayton, Panama
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Ancon, Panama
| | - Ana Ješovnik
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tuula Niskanen
- Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Surrey, UK
| | | | - Caio A Leal-Dutra
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Scott E Solomon
- National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Cameron R Currie
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Mauricio Bacci
- Institute of Biosciences, Department of General and Applied Biology, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Heraldo L Vasconcelos
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Christian Rabeling
- Social Insect Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Department of Integrative Taxonomy of Insects, Institute of Biology, and KomBioTa - Center for Biodiversity and Integrative Taxonomy; University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Brant C Faircloth
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Vinson P Doyle
- Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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2
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Viertler A, Verheyde F, Schwarz M, Schulz G, Klopfstein S, Mennecart B. Three taphonomic stories of three new fossil species of Darwin wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae). Sci Rep 2024; 14:17415. [PMID: 39075129 PMCID: PMC11286866 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67466-z] [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: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Amber captures a snapshot of life and death from millions of years in the past. Here, the fate of three fossil Darwin wasps in Baltic amber is virtually dissected with the help of micro-CT scanning, to better understand the taphonomic processes that affected their preservation. The states of the fossils range from nearly perfect preservation, including remains of internal organs, to empty casts that were strongly affected by decomposition. We describe the three specimens as new taxa, Osparvis aurorae gen. et sp. nov., Grana harveydenti gen. et sp. nov. and Xorides? romeo sp. nov. Based on the taphonomic and morphological interpretations, we conclude that two specimens were trapped alive, and the third ended up in resin post-mortem. The morphology and classification of the specimens provide clues regarding their ecology, and we discuss their likely hosts and parasitation modes. Taken together, our three wasp fossils showcase how an integrative analysis of amber taphonomy, taxonomic association and morphology can shed light onto past biodiversity and offer valuable insights for interpreting their evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Viertler
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Natural History Museum Basel, Augustinergasse 2, 4051, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Fons Verheyde
- , Aartshertoginnestraat 58/01, 8400, Ostend, Belgium
| | - Martin Schwarz
- Biologiezentrum Linz, OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH, Johann-Wilhelm-Kleinstrasse 73, 4040, Linz, Austria
| | - Georg Schulz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Core Facility Micro- and Nanotomography, University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167 B/C, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Biomaterials Science Center, University of Basel, Hegenheimermattweg 167 B/C, 4123, Allschwil, Switzerland
| | - Seraina Klopfstein
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Natural History Museum Basel, Augustinergasse 2, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bastien Mennecart
- Natural History Museum Basel, Augustinergasse 2, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
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3
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Ding X, Chen J, Maděra P. Editorial: Plant natural resins: from formation mechanism to ecological significance. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1412805. [PMID: 38745926 PMCID: PMC11093222 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1412805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Xupo Ding
- Guangxi Key Laboratory for Polysaccharide Materials and Modifications, School of Marine Sciences and Biotechnology, Guangxi Minzu University, Nanning, China
| | - Jinhui Chen
- School of Breeding and Multiplication (Sanya Institute of Breeding and Multiplication), Hainan University, Sanya, China
| | - Petr Maděra
- Department of Forest Botany, Dendrology and Geobiocoenology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czechia
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4
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Loewen EJT, Balkwill MA, Mattioli J, Cockx P, Caicedo MV, Muehlenbachs K, Tappert R, Borkent A, Libke C, Engel MS, Somers C, McKellar RC. New Canadian amber deposit fills gap in fossil record near end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1762-1771.e3. [PMID: 38521062 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Amber preserves an exceptional record of tiny, soft-bodied organisms and chemical environmental signatures, elucidating the evolution of arthropod lineages and the diversity, ecology, and biogeochemistry of ancient ecosystems. However, globally, fossiliferous amber deposits are rare in the latest Cretaceous and surrounding the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction.1,2,3,4,5 This faunal gap limits our understanding of arthropod diversity and survival across the extinction boundary.2,6 Contrasting hypotheses propose that arthropods were either relatively unaffected by the K-Pg extinction or experienced a steady decline in diversity before the extinction event followed by rapid diversification in the Cenozoic.2,6 These hypotheses are primarily based on arthropod feeding traces on fossil leaves and time-calibrated molecular phylogenies, not direct observation of the fossil record.2,7 Here, we report a diverse amber assemblage from the Late Cretaceous (67.04 ± 0.16 Ma) of the Big Muddy Badlands, Canada. The new deposit fills a critical 16-million-year gap in the arthropod fossil record spanning the K-Pg mass extinction. Seven arthropod orders and at least 11 insect families have been recovered, making the Big Muddy amber deposit the most diverse arthropod assemblage near the K-Pg extinction. Amber chemistry and stable isotopes suggest the amber was produced by coniferous (Cupressaceae) trees in a subtropical swamp near remnants of the Western Interior Seaway. The unexpected abundance of ants from extant families and the virtual absence of arthropods from common, exclusively Cretaceous families suggests that Big Muddy amber may represent a yet unsampled Late Cretaceous environment and provides evidence of a faunal transition before the end of the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elyssa J T Loewen
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada.
| | - Micheala A Balkwill
- Geology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Júlia Mattioli
- Geotop & Département des sciences de la Terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Pierre Cockx
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada
| | - Maria Velez Caicedo
- Geology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Karlis Muehlenbachs
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, 116 St and 85 Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Ralf Tappert
- Geology Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Art Borkent
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA
| | - Caelan Libke
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Av. Óscar R. Benavides 5737, Callao 07006, Lima, Peru; Departamento de Entomología, Museo de Historia Natural, Av. Gral. Antonio Álvarez de Arenales 1256, Jesús María 15072, Lima, Peru
| | - Christopher Somers
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Ryan C McKellar
- Biology Department, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Pkwy, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada; Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2340 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4P 2V7, Canada; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 1450 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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5
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Kim DY, Kim S, Song H, Shin S. Phylogeny and biogeography of the wingless orthopteran family Rhaphidophoridae. Commun Biol 2024; 7:401. [PMID: 38565627 PMCID: PMC10987581 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06068-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Cave crickets (Rhaphidophoridae) are insects of an ancient and wingless lineage within Orthoptera that are distributed worldwide except in Antarctica, and each subfamily has a high level of endemicity. Here, we show the comprehensive phylogeny of cave crickets using multi-gene datasets from mitochondrial and nuclear loci, including all extant subfamilies for the first time. We reveal phylogenetic relationships between subfamilies, including the sister relationship between Anoplophilinae and Gammarotettiginae, based on which we suggest new synapomorphies. Through biogeographic analyses based on divergence time estimations and ancestral range reconstruction, we propose novel hypotheses regarding the biogeographic history of cave crickets. We suggest that Gammarotettiginae in California originated from the Asian lineage when Asia and the Americas were connected by the Bering land bridge, and the opening of the western interior seaway affected the division of Ceuthophilinae from Tropidischiinae in North America. We estimate that Rhaphidophoridae originated at 138 Mya throughout Pangea. We further hypothesize that the loss of wings in Rhaphidophoridae could be the result of their adaptation to low temperatures in the Mesozoic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do-Yoon Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Comparative Medicine Disease Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangil Kim
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Hojun Song
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Seunggwan Shin
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Comparative Medicine Disease Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
- Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Giannini NP, Cannell A, Amador LI, Simmons NB. Palaeoatmosphere facilitates a gliding transition to powered flight in the Eocene bat, Onychonycteris finneyi. Commun Biol 2024; 7:365. [PMID: 38532113 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06032-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary transition to powered flight remains controversial in bats, the only flying mammals. We applied aerodynamic modeling to reconstruct flight in the oldest complete fossil bat, the archaic Onychonycteris finneyi from the early Eocene of North America. Results indicate that Onychonycteris was capable of both gliding and powered flight either in a standard normodense aerial medium or in the hyperdense atmosphere that we estimate for the Eocene from two independent palaeogeochemical proxies. Aerodynamic continuity across a morphological gradient is further demonstrated by modeled intermediate forms with increasing aspect ratio (AR) produced by digital elongation based on chiropteran developmental data. Here a gliding performance gradient emerged of decreasing sink rate with increasing AR that eventually allowed applying available muscle power to achieve level flight using flapping, which is greatly facilitated in hyperdense air. This gradient strongly supports a gliding (trees-down) transition to powered flight in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norberto P Giannini
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina.
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, NY, USA.
| | - Alan Cannell
- ISIPU - Istituto Italiano di Paleontologia Umana, Rome, Italy
- Instituto de Estudos Avançados, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil
| | - Lucila I Amador
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, NY, USA
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7
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Lyubarsky GY, Alekseev V, Bukejs A. A new fossil species and new record of Atomaria Stephens (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae) from Eocene Baltic amber. Zootaxa 2023; 5375:241-248. [PMID: 38220824 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5375.2.5] [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: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Based on well-preserved specimen in Eocene Baltic amber, Atomaria (Anchicera) propinqua sp. nov. is described and illustrated. It is the sixth fossil species of Atomaria Stephens, 1829 reported from fossil resins. In addition, a new fossil record of A. (Anchicera) alekseevi Lyubarsky et Bukejs, 2022 from Baltic amber is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgy Yu Lyubarsky
- Zoological Museum; Moscow State University; Bolshaya Nikitskaya Str. 2; Moscow 103009; Russia.
| | - Vitalii Alekseev
- Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University; Nevskogo 14; Kaliningrad 236016; Russia.
| | - Andris Bukejs
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies; Daugavpils University; Vienbas 13; Daugavpils LV-5401; Latvia.
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Legalov AA, Bukejs A, Vanaga A, Alekseev VI. First Record of the Genus Cartorhynchites Voss, 1958 (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae) from Eocene Baltic Amber with a List of Fossil Tooth-Nosed Snout Weevils. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1920. [PMID: 37763323 PMCID: PMC10532588 DOI: 10.3390/life13091920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A new species of the genus Cartorhynchites (Rhynchitini, Rhynchitina) is described from Baltic amber. Cartorhynchites groehni Legalov, Bukejs et Alekseev sp. n. differs from C. struvei Zherikhin, 1992 from the Miocene of Germany in its smaller body size (2.6 mm), strongly convex eyes, narrower pronotum and wide elytra, and dark brown legs. A new species is studied and illustrated in detail using X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT). It is the earliest fossil record of subtribe Rhynchitina. A list of fossil Rhynchitidae was compiled. A key to species of Rhynchitidae in Baltic amber was given. Fossil finds of the family Rhynchitidae were discussed. The assumption was made that the Recent distribution range of the genus Cartorhynchites is within the range of its host plant of the genus Symplocos. Probably, a new Eocene species developed on Symplocos kowalewskii, and the Oligocene C. struvei was associated with Symplocos myosotis (Unger).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei A. Legalov
- Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 630091 Novosibirsk, Russia;
- Department of Ecology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Altai State University, 656049 Barnaul, Russia
- Department of Forestry and Landscape Construction, Tomsk State University, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - Andris Bukejs
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Vienıbas 13, 5401 Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Anarina Vanaga
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Vienıbas 13, 5401 Daugavpils, Latvia
| | - Vitalii I. Alekseev
- Kaliningrad Regional Amber Museum, Marshal Vasilevskii Square 1, 236016 Kaliningrad, Russia;
- Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Nevskogo Str. 14, 236016 Kaliningrad, Russia
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9
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Godlewska K, Pacyga P, Najda A, Michalak I. Investigation of Chemical Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Biologically Active Plant-Derived Natural Products. Molecules 2023; 28:5572. [PMID: 37513443 PMCID: PMC10384900 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145572] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this publication is to present rapid screening methods (visual/colorimetric) that will enable quick identification of the presence of biologically active compounds in aqueous solutions. For this reason, 26 plant extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction were analysed for the content of these compounds. Higher plants, used as a raw material for extraction, are common in Europe and are easily available. The article proposes a comparison of various protocols for the identification of various compounds, e.g., phenolic compounds (phenols, tannins, anthocyanins, coumarins, flavones, flavonoids), vitamin C, quinones, quinines, resins, glycosides, sugars. Initial characterisation of the composition of plant extracts using fast and inexpensive methods allows you to avoid the use of time-consuming analyses with the use of advanced research equipment. In addition, the antioxidant activity of plant extracts using spectrophotometric methods (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP assay) and quantitative analysis of plant hormones such as abscisic acid, benzoic acid, gibberellic acid, indole acetic acid, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, zeatin, zeatin riboside, and isipentenyl adenine was performed. The obtained results prove that the applied visual methods show different sensitivity in detecting the sought chemical compounds. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm the presence or absence of bioactive substances and their concentration using modern analytical methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Godlewska
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-375 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Paweł Pacyga
- Department of Thermodynamics and Renewable Energy Sources, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Najda
- Department of Vegetable and Herbal Crops, The University of Life Science in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Izabela Michalak
- Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, 50-372 Wrocław, Poland
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10
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Su X, Yu J, Shi Z, Wang Y, Li Y. Headspace solid-phase microextraction comprehensive 2D gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC × GC-TOFMS) for origin traceability of the genus Hymenaea resinites. RSC Adv 2023; 13:14150-14158. [PMID: 37179992 PMCID: PMC10168135 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra00794d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Differentiating the chemical compositions of resinite (amber, copal, and resin) is very crucial for determining the botanical origin and chemical compositions of the fossilised amber and copal. This differentiation also assists in understanding the ecological functions of resinite. Headspace solid-phase microextraction-comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass-spectroscopy (HS-SPME-GC × GC-TOFMS) was firstly proposed and utilised in this research to investigate the chemical components (volatile and semi-volatile compositions) and structures of Dominican amber, Mexican amber, and Colombian copal for origin traceability, which were all produced by trees belonging to the genus Hymenaea. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the relative abundances of each compound. Several informative variables were selected, such as caryophyllene oxide, which was only found in Dominican amber, and copaene, which was only found in Colombian copal. 1H-Indene, 2,3-dihydro-1,1,5,6-tetramethyl- and 1,1,4,5,6-pentamethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene were abundantly present in Mexican amber, which were the critical fingerprints for the origin traceability of amber and copal produced by trees from the genus Hymenaea of various geological places. Meanwhile, some characteristic compounds were closely related to the invasion of fungi and insects; their links with ancient fungi and insect categories were also decoded in this study and these special compounds could be used to further study the plant-insect interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Su
- Gemmological Institute, China University of Geosciences Wuhan 430074 China
- Hubei Engineering Research Centre of Jewellery Wuhan 430074 China
| | - Jing Yu
- Gemmological Institute, China University of Geosciences Wuhan 430074 China
- Hubei Engineering Research Centre of Jewellery Wuhan 430074 China
| | - Zhaotong Shi
- Gemmological Institute, China University of Geosciences Wuhan 430074 China
- Hubei Engineering Research Centre of Jewellery Wuhan 430074 China
| | - Yamei Wang
- Gemmological Institute, China University of Geosciences Wuhan 430074 China
- Hubei Engineering Research Centre of Jewellery Wuhan 430074 China
| | - Yan Li
- Gemmological Institute, China University of Geosciences Wuhan 430074 China
- Hubei Engineering Research Centre of Jewellery Wuhan 430074 China
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11
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Natkaniec-Nowak L, Drzewicz P, Stach P, Mroczkowska-Szerszeń M, Żukowska G. The overview of analytical methods for studying of fossil natural resins. Crit Rev Anal Chem 2023:1-23. [PMID: 37083454 DOI: 10.1080/10408347.2023.2200855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The review presents methods that are used frequently for multi-analytical study of fossil resins. The preliminary characterization relies on physical methods such as microhardness, density and fluorescence in UV light measurements. The spectroscopic methods: infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy are also presented in the paper. Besides that, the review also contains examples of the application of chromatographic methods: gas chromatography, thin layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry as well as sample preparation methods for chromatographic studies such as pyrolysis. Additionally, thermal methods such as thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry also are covered by the review. Beside the examples of application, a detailed description with development history and perspective for further improvement are presented for each method. Moreover, fit-for-purpose assessment of each method is illustrated based on many examples from literature. The paper also contains examples of the application of multivariate statistical analysis and chemometric methods for comparing multiple properties of different fossil resin specimens for differentiation and classification purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucyna Natkaniec-Nowak
- Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Pawel Stach
- Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland
| | | | - Grażyna Żukowska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland
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12
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Vorontsov DD, Kolesnikov VB, Voronezhskaya EE, Perkovsky EE, Berto MM, Mowery J, Ochoa R, Klimov PB. Beyond the Limits of Light: An Application of Super-Resolution Confocal Microscopy (sCLSM) to Investigate Eocene Amber Microfossils. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13040865. [PMID: 37109394 PMCID: PMC10142905 DOI: 10.3390/life13040865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Amber is known as one of the best sources of fossil organisms preserved with exceptional fidelity. Historically, different methods of imaging have been applied to amber, including optical microscopy and microtomography. These methods are sufficient to resolve millimeter-scaled fossils. However, microfossils, such as microarthropods, require another resolution. Here, we describe a non-destructive method of super resolution confocal microscopy (sCLSM) to study amber-preserved microfossils, using a novel astigmatid mite species (genus Histiogaster, Acaridae) from Eocene Rovno amber as a model. We show that the resolution obtained with sCLSM is comparable to that of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) routinely used to study modern mites. We compare sCLSM imaging to other methods that are used to study amber inclusions and emphasize its advantages in examination of unique fossil specimens. Furthermore, we show that the deterioration of amber, which manifests in its darkening, positively correlates with its increased fluorescence. Our results demonstrate a great potential of the sCLSM method for imaging of the tiniest organisms preserved in amber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry D Vorontsov
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vasiliy B Kolesnikov
- Federal Public Budgetary Scientific Institution, All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Protection, 396030 Voronezh, Russia
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), University of Tyumen, 625003 Tyumen, Russia
| | - Elena E Voronezhskaya
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
| | - Evgeny E Perkovsky
- Department of Entomology and Collection Management, I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine, 01030 Kiev, Ukraine
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marielle M Berto
- Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL 33031, USA
| | - Joseph Mowery
- Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Ronald Ochoa
- Systematic Entomology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
| | - Pavel B Klimov
- Institute of Environmental and Agricultural Biology (X-BIO), University of Tyumen, 625003 Tyumen, Russia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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13
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Zhang HH, Wu CD. Creation and stabilization of carbon dots in silica-confined compartments with high thermal stability. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023; 59:1665-1668. [PMID: 36689204 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc06905a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by the formation procedures and high stability of ambers, we report herein a facile approach for the in situ creation and stabilization of carbon dots (CDs) in confined silica compartments by a solvothermal reaction and subsequent thermal treatment, and the endowed CDs exhibit the initial photoluminescence (PL) properties at 400 °C, which could be used to fabricate highly thermal-stable light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that work well at a current of 600 mA and temperature of 205 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan-Huan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Excited-State Material of Zhejiang Province and State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China.
| | - Chuan-De Wu
- Key Laboratory of Excited-State Material of Zhejiang Province and State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, P. R. China.
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14
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Li X, Wang Y, Shi G, Lu R, Li Y. Evaluation of natural ageing responses on Burmese amber durability by FTIR spectroscopy with PLSR and ANN models. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2023; 285:121936. [PMID: 36201871 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2022.121936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Amber ageing is an inevitable process, which is very important in precious organic gemstone relics protection. In order to explore the mechanism of amber ageing and estimate the durability of Burmese amber, this research investigates the changing spectral features of Burmese ageing amber via Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and solid 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and develops the regression models for its micro-hardness by micro-FTIR spectra. The Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) methods as well as Competitive Adaptive Reweighted Sampling (CARS) algorithm for wavelength variables selection have been applied to predict and assess the Vickers hardness of amber samples with different ageing degrees. As a result, the FTIR and the solid 13C NMR spectra reveal that the contents of CO groups (of esters) increase substantially, and which of the other oxygenic groups (CO (of acids), COC, COCC) increase modestly in amber ageing. When comparing with the results of four different models (PLSR, ANN, CARS-PLSR and CARS-ANN), the CARS-PLSR model obtained the optimal results as follows: the squared correlation coefficient of calibration(R2cal) is 0.9230 and the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) is 1.2977 HV; the squared correlation coefficient of prediction (R2pre) is 0.7762 and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) is 2.2208 HV. The overall results sufficiently demonstrate that FTIR spectroscopy technique coupled with appropriate chemometrics methods are very promising tools to estimate and predict the hardness property of Burmese ageing amber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingping Li
- Gemological Institute, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yamei Wang
- Gemological Institute, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center of Jewelry, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Guanghai Shi
- School of Gemology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ren Lu
- Gemological Institute, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center of Jewelry, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yan Li
- Gemological Institute, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center of Jewelry, Wuhan 430074, China.
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15
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Clark AT, D’Anna S, Nemati J, Barden P, Gatley I, Federici J. Evaluation of Fossil Amber Birefringence and Inclusions Using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:5506. [PMID: 36559874 PMCID: PMC9780848 DOI: 10.3390/polym14245506] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a cross-polarization transmission geometry, stress maps for the normalized birefringence and intrinsic stress direction of polymeric materials may be obtained using terahertz nondestructive evaluation. The analysis method utilizes a deconvolution method to determine the arrival times and amplitude of the cross-polarized terahertz pulses through a birefringent material. Using amber (a naturally occurring polymer) as a material of interest, stress maps show that inclusion-free Lebanese amber samples behave as classic uniaxial birefringent (photoelastic) materials whose principal stress directions, as inferred in the terahertz spectral range, agree well with visible photoelasticity measurements. Since amber samples, depending upon their source, may be either transparent or opaque to visible light, comparing birefringence measurements in the visible and terahertz spectral ranges cross-validates the stress measurements, thereby establishing a strong and unique stress analysis methodology for visibly opaque samples. While the material of interest for this paper is amber, the method is generally applicable for any terahertz-transparent polymer. The cross-polarization experimental configuration enables stress levels within the amber matrix to be visualized while also outlining highly localized regions of stress surrounding inclusions. Birefringence stress maps clearly show localized increases in stress magnitude and directional changes surrounding inclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander T. Clark
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Sophia D’Anna
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Jessy Nemati
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Phillip Barden
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Ian Gatley
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - John Federici
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
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16
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LYUBARSKY GEORGYYU, BUKEJS ANDRIS. Two new fossil species of the genus Atomaria Stephens (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae) from Eocene European amber with a key to species described from fossil resins. Zootaxa 2022; 5188:283-289. [PMID: 37044778 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5188.3.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Two new extinct species of the genus Atomaria Stephens, 1829 are described and illustrated: A. (Anchicera) alekseevi sp. nov. from Baltic amber and A. (Anchicera) perkovskyi sp. nov. from Rovno amber. A key to extinct Eocene species of Atomaria is provided.
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17
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Characterization of Boswellia rivae Engl Resin as a Potential Use for Pharmaceutical Excipient. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:5791308. [PMID: 35978631 PMCID: PMC9377920 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5791308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical excipients derived from natural sources like resins are nowadays meritoriously used in the formulation of drugs. Resins of natural origin have many advantages over chemically synthesized substances; they are safer, nontoxic, less expensive, biodegradable, and widely available. To our knowledge, resins from plants have been not sufficiently explored for application in pharmaceutical formulations. Thus, in the present study, a resin isolated from Boswellia rivae Engl was characterized for its potential use as a pharmaceutical excipient. Method. The resin was extracted from the oleo gum resin of Boswellia rivae Engl, which involved the removal of volatile oils, gum, and Boswellic acid contents. The dried resin powder was then characterized for its micromeritic properties, heavy metal contents, moisture content, moisture absorption power, pH, solubility, swelling property, and acute toxicity profile. Moreover, the crystal nature and the chemical functionality of the resin were evaluated by using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, respectively. Results. The yield of the neutral resin was 13.17%, and the powder was pale yellow and had irregular surfaces. The resin was freely soluble in organic solvents but almost insoluble in water. The moisture content of the dried extract was 2.5% while its moisture absorption capacity was 2.5%, 4%, and 5.47% at 40%, 60%, and 75% RH, respectively. Besides, the maximum swelling capacities of the resin observed were 40%, 37%, and 30% at 350C, 300C, and 250C, respectively. The bulk powder exhibited a 1.21 Hausner ratio, 36.497 angles of repose, and 17.03% Carr's index, indicating the fair flowability of the powder. Heavy metals such as zinc, chromium, and cobalt were detected at a low level while elements like copper, manganese, lead, and cadmium were absent. The X-ray diffraction study revealed that the crystallinity index of the powder was 42.7% with a crystal size of 994.5A. The Boswellia resin could be safe in mice up to 3 g/kg of their body weight. In conclusion, the physicochemical properties of the resin powder investigated reveal its potential application as pharmaceutical additives in the formulation of modified release solid dosages forms like tablets and microcapsules.
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18
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Seyfullah LJ, Roberts EA, Jardine PE, Rikkinen J, Schmidt AR. Uncovering the natural variability of araucariacean exudates from ex situ and in situ tree populations in New Caledonia using FTIR spectroscopy. PEERJ ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.7717/peerj-achem.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Understanding the natural variability of plant resins is crucial for evaluating the chemical information stored in ambers that may support inferring palaeoenvironmental conditions. However, even among extant resin-producing plants, the variation of resinous exudates within and between tree genera and species is still poorly understood.
Methods
We analysed plant exudates from across the Araucariaceae in New Caledonia using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode (FTIR-ATR). Both, wild (in situ) and arboretum grown (ex situ) populations were used to uncover the effects of intergeneric, inter- and intraspecific variation of the araucariacean plants on the resin chemistry.
Results
We show that even resins from the same species in the same habitat do have natural (intraspecific) chemical variation. Some of the variation can result from the degree of resin polymerisation, but this is not the only source of variation. Wild sourced resins have greater natural intraspecific chemical variation than the arboretum sourced ones. Interspecific and intergeneric differences were not easy to distinguish in the resins sampled. This has strong implications for the evaluation of the chemical information from worldwide ambers: multiple samples should be analysed to give a more accurate picture of the natural chemical variation present and how this may or may not overlap with the chemistries of other resin types. Additionally we discovered that the Araucariacean species can produce up to three distinct types of exudate (gum, resin, and gum resin). This is the first time that gum resins have been identified and characterized with FTIR-ATR. We also provide a guide on how to distinguish the exudate types when using FTIR-ATR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily A. Roberts
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Phillip E. Jardine
- Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jouko Rikkinen
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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19
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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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20
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Barden P, Sosiak CE, Grajales J, Hawkins J, Rizzo L, Clark A, Gatley S, Gatley I, Federici J. Non-destructive comparative evaluation of fossil amber using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262983. [PMID: 35353830 PMCID: PMC8967008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossilized plant resins, or ambers, offer a unique paleontological window into the history of life. A natural polymer, amber can preserve aspects of ancient environments, including whole organisms, for tens or even hundreds of millions of years. While most amber research involves imaging with visual light, other spectra are increasingly used to characterize both organismal inclusions as well as amber matrix. Terahertz (THz) radiation, which occupies the electromagnetic band between microwave and infrared light wavelengths, is non-ionizing and frequently used in polymer spectroscopy. Here, we evaluate the utility of amber terahertz spectroscopy in a comparative setting for the first time by analyzing the terahertz optical properties of samples from 10 fossil deposits ranging in age from the Miocene to the Early Cretaceous. We recover no clear relationships between amber age or botanical source and terahertz permittivity; however, we do find apparent deposit-specific permittivity among transparent amber samples. By comparing the suitability of multiple permittivity models across sample data we find that models with a distribution of dielectric relaxation times best describe the spectral permittivity of amber. We also demonstrate a process for imaging amber inclusions using terahertz transmission and find that terahertz spectroscopy can be used to identify some synthetic amber forgeries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Barden
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Christine E. Sosiak
- Federated Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jonpierre Grajales
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - John Hawkins
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Louis Rizzo
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Alexander Clark
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Samuel Gatley
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Ian Gatley
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - John Federici
- Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
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21
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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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22
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Roháček J, Hoffeins C. Clusiomitidae, A New Family of Eocene Fossil Acalyptratae, with Revision of Acartophthalmites Hennig and Clusiomites Gen. Nov. (Diptera). INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12121123. [PMID: 34940210 PMCID: PMC8705662 DOI: 10.3390/insects12121123] [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: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary This study contributes to knowledge of the diversity of tertiary fossil flies of the group Acalyptratae. A new family Clusiomitidae is described on the basis of seven (four new) species from Baltic amber inclusions (Eocene, ca 48–34 Ma) belonging to two genera, Clusiomites gen. nov. and Acartophthalmites Hennig, 1965. Discovery of a new acalyptrate family in Baltic amber indicates an unusually rich diversity of this group in the so called “amber forest” covering a vast area of Europe in the Eocene climatic optimum. Abstract The Eocene Baltic amber fossil flies of the genus Acartophthalmites Hennig, 1965 (Diptera: Acalyptratae) are revised. Seven species are recognized and described or redescribed. Five species, A. crassipes sp. nov., A. luridus sp. nov., A. rugosus sp. nov., A. tertiaria Hennig, 1965 (type species) and A. willii Pérez-de la Fuente, Hoffeins et Roháček, 2018 are retained in Acartophthalmites while Clusiomites gen. nov. is described for two other species, C. clusioides (Roháček, 2016) comb. nov. (type species) and C. ornatus sp. nov. Relationships of these fossil taxa are discussed and, because they cannot be confidently placed in any known family of Diptera, a new family, Clusiomitidae, is established for them. Clusiomitidae is recognized as a family of Opomyzoidea, probably most closely allied to Clusiidae. These results again confirmed that the diversity of acalyptrate flies was very high in the Mid-late Eocene amber forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindřich Roháček
- Entomology, Silesian Museum, Nádražní Okruh 31, 746 01 Opava, Czech Republic
- Correspondence:
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23
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Álvarez-Parra S, Pérez-de la Fuente R, Peñalver E, Barrón E, Alcalá L, Pérez-Cano J, Martín-Closas C, Trabelsi K, Meléndez N, López Del Valle R, Lozano RP, Peris D, Rodrigo A, Sarto I Monteys V, Bueno-Cebollada CA, Menor-Salván C, Philippe M, Sánchez-García A, Peña-Kairath C, Arillo A, Espílez E, Mampel L, Delclòs X. Dinosaur bonebed amber from an original swamp forest soil. eLife 2021; 10:72477. [PMID: 34844669 PMCID: PMC8631943 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Dinosaur bonebeds with amber content, yet scarce, offer a superior wealth and quality of data on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. However, the preserved palaeodiversity and/or taphonomic characteristics of these exceptional localities had hitherto limited their palaeobiological potential. Here, we describe the amber from the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed of Ariño (Teruel, Spain) using a multidisciplinary approach. Amber is found in both a root layer with amber strictly in situ and a litter layer mainly composed of aerial pieces unusually rich in bioinclusions, encompassing 11 insect orders, arachnids, and a few plant and vertebrate remains, including a feather. Additional palaeontological data—charophytes, palynomorphs, ostracods— are provided. Ariño arguably represents the most prolific and palaeobiologically diverse locality in which fossiliferous amber and a dinosaur bonebed have been found in association, and the only one known where the vast majority of the palaeontological assemblage suffered no or low-grade pre-burial transport. This has unlocked unprecedentedly complete and reliable palaeoecological data out of two complementary windows of preservation—the bonebed and the amber—from the same site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Álvarez-Parra
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Eduardo Barrón
- Museo Geominero (IGME, CSIC), c/ Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Alcalá
- Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis/Museo Aragonés de Paleontología, Av. Sagunto s/n, Teruel, Spain
| | - Jordi Pérez-Cano
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Martín-Closas
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Khaled Trabelsi
- Université de Sfax, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.,Université de Tunis El Manar II, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, LR18 ES07, Tunis, Tunisia.,Department of Geology, University of Vienna, UZA 2, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nieves Meléndez
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael López Del Valle
- Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava, c/ Siervas de Jesús 24, 01001, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Rafael P Lozano
- Museo Geominero (IGME, CSIC), c/ Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Peris
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Rodrigo
- Museo Geominero (IGME, CSIC), c/ Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, Spain
| | - Víctor Sarto I Monteys
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Edifici Z - ICTA-ICP, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - César Menor-Salván
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, United States.,Departamento de Biología de Sistemas/Instituto de Investigación Química "Andrés del Río" (IQAR), Universidad de Alcalá, 28805, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marc Philippe
- Univ. Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alba Sánchez-García
- Departament de Botànica i Geologia, Facultat de Ciències Biològiques, Universitat de València, c/ Dr. Moliner 50, Burjassot, Spain.,Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, United States
| | - Constanza Peña-Kairath
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Arillo
- Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, c/ José Antonio Novais 12, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Espílez
- Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis/Museo Aragonés de Paleontología, Av. Sagunto s/n, Teruel, Spain
| | - Luis Mampel
- Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel-Dinópolis/Museo Aragonés de Paleontología, Av. Sagunto s/n, Teruel, Spain
| | - Xavier Delclòs
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, c/Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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24
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Mapalo MA, Robin N, Boudinot BE, Ortega-Hernández J, Barden P. A tardigrade in Dominican amber. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211760. [PMID: 34610770 PMCID: PMC8493197 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tardigrades are a diverse group of charismatic microscopic invertebrates that are best known for their ability to survive extreme conditions. Despite their long evolutionary history and global distribution in both aquatic and terrestrial environments, the tardigrade fossil record is exceedingly sparse. Molecular clocks estimate that tardigrades diverged from other panarthropod lineages before the Cambrian, but only two definitive crown-group representatives have been described to date, both from Cretaceous fossil deposits in North America. Here, we report a third fossil tardigrade from Miocene age Dominican amber. Paradoryphoribius chronocaribbeus gen. et sp. nov. is the first unambiguous fossil representative of the diverse superfamily Isohypsibioidea, as well as the first tardigrade fossil described from the Cenozoic. We propose that the patchy tardigrade fossil record can be explained by the preferential preservation of these microinvertebrates as amber inclusions, coupled with the scarcity of fossiliferous amber deposits before the Cretaceous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A. Mapalo
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Ninon Robin
- Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brendon E. Boudinot
- Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Jena, Germany
- University of California, Davis, Department of Entomology, One Shields Avenue, Davis 94596, CA, USA
| | - Javier Ortega-Hernández
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Phillip Barden
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, USA
- Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, USA
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25
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Kundrata R, Packova G, Kairišs K, Bukejs A, Hoffmannova J, Blank SM. The First Ptilodactyla Illiger, 1807 (Coleoptera: Dryopoidea: Ptilodactylidae) Described from Eocene Baltic Amber. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:877. [PMID: 34571754 PMCID: PMC8465962 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The beetle family Ptilodactylidae contains more than 500 extant species; however, its fossil record is scarce and remains understudied. In this study, we describe a new species of Ptilodactylidae, Ptilodactyla eocenica Kundrata, Bukejs and Blank, sp. nov., based on a relatively well-preserved specimen from Baltic amber. We use X-ray microcomputed tomography to reconstruct its morphology since some of the principal diagnostic characters have been obscured by opaque bubbles. It is the third ptilodactylid species described from Baltic amber, and the first one belonging to the subfamily Ptilodactylinae. Additionally, we summarize the classification, diversity, and distribution of both extinct and extant Ptilodactylidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Kundrata
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu 50, 77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (G.P.); (J.H.)
| | - Gabriela Packova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu 50, 77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (G.P.); (J.H.)
| | - Kristaps Kairišs
- Department of Biosystematics, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Vienības 13, 5401 Daugavpils, Latvia; (K.K.); (A.B.)
| | - Andris Bukejs
- Department of Biosystematics, Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Vienības 13, 5401 Daugavpils, Latvia; (K.K.); (A.B.)
| | - Johana Hoffmannova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu 50, 77146 Olomouc, Czech Republic; (G.P.); (J.H.)
| | - Stephan M. Blank
- Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Eberswalder Strasse 90, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany;
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26
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Smith KT. Paleontology: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Oculudentavis! Curr Biol 2021; 31:R950-R952. [PMID: 34375597 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Few animals have experienced such jarring taxonomic whiplash as has Oculudentavis, a tiny tetrapod preserved in amber. A new specimen of this perplexing lineage now shows that it is a lizard unlike any ever discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krister T Smith
- Department of Messel Research and Mammalogy, Senckenberg Research Institute, and Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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27
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Nabozhenko MV, McKellar RC, Bukejs A. The first described darkling beetle of the tribe Metaclisini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Eocene Baltic amber. Zootaxa 2021; 4999:279-284. [PMID: 34810485 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4999.3.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The description of an extinct species of Metaclisa Jacquelin du Val, 1861 (Tenebrionidae) is presented. This genus and the tribe Metaclisini are recorded as fossils for the first time, from Eocene Baltic amber. The new species Metaclisa ottoi sp. nov. belongs to the subgenus Trichometaclisa subgen. nov. and differs from all other Metaclisini in possessing short, fine recumbent setation on the pronotum and elytra; in addition, the prosternal process in Metaclisa ottoi sp. nov. is roundly bent down and weakly projected behind the procoxae, which differs from extant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxim V Nabozhenko
- Precaspian Institute of Biological Resources of the Daghestan Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, M. Gadzhiev Str. 45, Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan, 367000, Russia. Dagestan State University, 43a M. Gadzhiev Str., Makhachkala, Republic of Dagestan, 367000, Russia.
| | - Ryan C McKellar
- Royal Saskatchewan Museum, 2445 Albert St., Regina, SK, S4P 4W7, Canada. Biology Department, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada. Department of Ecology Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045, USA..
| | - Andris Bukejs
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Vienbas iela 13, Daugavpils, LV-5401, Latvia..
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28
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Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography and diversification patterns of a diverse group of moths (Geometridae: Boarmiini). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2021; 162:107198. [PMID: 33989807 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Understanding how and why some groups have become more species-rich than others, and how past biogeography may have shaped their current distribution, are questions that evolutionary biologists have long attempted to answer. We investigated diversification patterns and historical biogeography of a hyperdiverse lineage of Lepidoptera, the geometrid moths, by studying its most species-rich tribe Boarmiini, which comprises ca. 200 genera and ca. known 3000 species. We inferred the evolutionary relationships of Boarmiini based on a dataset of 346 taxa, with up to eight genetic markers under a maximum likelihood approach. The monophyly of Boarmiini is strongly supported. However, the phylogenetic position of many taxa does not agree with current taxonomy, although the monophyly of most major genera within the tribe is supported after minor adjustments. Three genera are synonymized, one new combination is proposed, and four species are placed in incertae sedis within Boarmiini. Our results support the idea of a rapid initial diversification of Boarmiini, which also implies that no major taxonomic subdivisions of the group can currently be proposed. A time-calibrated tree and biogeographical analyses suggest that boarmiines appeared in Laurasia ca. 52 Mya, followed by dispersal events throughout the Australasian, African and Neotropical regions. Most of the transcontinental dispersal events occurred in the Eocene, a period of intense geological activity and rapid climate change. Diversification analyses showed a relatively constant diversification rate for all Boarmiini, except in one clade containing the species-rich genus Cleora. The present work represents a substantial contribution towards understanding the evolutionary origin of Boarmiini moths. Our results, inevitably biased by taxon sampling, highlight the difficulties with working on species-rich groups that have not received much attention outside of Europe. Specifically, poor knowledge of the natural history of geometrids (particularly in tropical clades) limits our ability to identify key innovations underlying the diversification of boarmiines.
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29
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Krzemiński W, Kania-Kłosok I, Krzemińska E, Ševčík J, Soszyńska-Maj A. Fossils Shed a New Light on the Diversity and Disparity of the Family Limoniidae (Diptera, Nematocera). INSECTS 2021; 12:206. [PMID: 33804356 PMCID: PMC8000698 DOI: 10.3390/insects12030206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A new subfamily Drinosinae (Diptera, Limoniidae) is established with two fossil genera, Drinosa and Decessia gen. nov. with one new species, Decessia podenasi gen. et sp. nov. from Cretaceous Burmese amber. Additional description of Drinosa prisca is based on new material. A new subfamily shows unique reduction of radial veins combined with complete set of medial veins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiesław Krzemiński
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016 Kraków, Poland; (W.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Iwona Kania-Kłosok
- Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Rzeszów, Zelwerowicza 4, 35-601 Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Ewa Krzemińska
- Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences, Sławkowska 17, 31-016 Kraków, Poland; (W.K.); (E.K.)
| | - Jan Ševčík
- Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Chittussiho 10, 71000 Ostrava, Czech Republic;
| | - Agnieszka Soszyńska-Maj
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 12/16, 90-237 Łódź, Poland;
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30
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Beimforde C, Schmidt A, Rikkinen J, Mitchell J. Sareomycetes cl. nov.: A new proposal for placement of the resinicolous genus Sarea ( Ascomycota, Pezizomycotina). Fungal Syst Evol 2020; 6:25-37. [PMID: 32904095 PMCID: PMC7451776 DOI: 10.3114/fuse.2020.06.02] [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] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Resinicolous fungi constitute a heterogeneous assemblage of fungi that live on fresh and solidified plant resins. The genus Sarea includes, according to current knowledge, two species, S. resinae and S. difformis. In contrast to other resinicolous discomycetes, which are placed in genera also including non-resinicolous species, Sarea species only ever fruit on resin. The taxonomic classification of Sarea has proven to be difficult and currently the genus, provisionally and based only on morphological features, has been assigned to the Trapeliales (Lecanoromycetes). In contrast, molecular studies have noted a possible affinity to the Leotiomycetes. Here we review the taxonomic placement of Sarea using sequence data from seven phylogenetically informative DNA regions including ribosomal (ITS, nucSSU, mtSSU, nucLSU) and protein-coding (rpb1, rpb2, mcm7) regions. We combined available and new sequence data with sequences from major Pezizomycotina classes, especially Lecanoromycetes and Leotiomycetes, and assembled three different taxon samplings in order to place the genus Sarea within the Pezizomycotina. Based on our data, none of the applied phylogenetic approaches (Bayesian Inference, Maximum Likelihood and Maximum Parsimony) supported the placement of Sarea in the Trapeliales or any other order in the Lecanoromycetes. A placement of Sarea within the Leotiomycetes is similarly unsupported. Based on our data, Sarea forms an isolated and highly supported phylogenetic lineage within the "Leotiomyceta". From the results of our multilocus phylogenetic analyses we propose here a new class, order, and family, Sareomycetes, Sareales and Sareaceae in the Ascomycota to accommodate the genus Sarea. The genetic variability within the newly proposed class suggests that it is a larger group that requires further infrageneric classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Beimforde
- Department of Geobiology, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - A.R. Schmidt
- Department of Geobiology, University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - J. Rikkinen
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 7, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, and Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, P.O. Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - J.K. Mitchell
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, 17 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 and Farlow Reference Library and Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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31
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Kundrata R, Bukejs A, Prosvirov AS, Hoffmannova J. X-ray micro-computed tomography reveals a unique morphology in a new click-beetle (Coleoptera, Elateridae) from the Eocene Baltic amber. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20158. [PMID: 33214585 PMCID: PMC7677381 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76908-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Beetle fossils are a rich source of information about the palaeodiversity and evolutionary history of the order Coleoptera. Despite the increasing rate of fossil research on click-beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae), the most diverse group in the superfamily Elateroidea, their fossil record has remained largely unstudied. This may be caused by the combination of their rather uniform external morphology and the suboptimal state of preservation and visibility in most fossil specimens. Here, we used X-ray micro-computed tomography to reconstruct the morphology of an interesting click-beetle from Eocene Baltic amber, which had some principal diagnostic characters obscured by opaque bubbles and body position. Our results suggest that the newly described Baltelater bipectinatus gen. et sp. nov. belongs to tribe Protelaterini within subfamily Lissominae. Since Protelaterini have a predominantly Gondwanan distribution, our discovery is of a great importance for the historical biogeography of the group. Very distinctive are the bipectinate antennae with 11 antennomeres and with rami beginning on antennomere IV, which are not found in any recent Elateridae. The discovery of a new click-beetle lineage from European Eocene amber sheds further light on the palaeodiversity and historical diversification of the family as well as on the composition of the extinct amber forest ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Kundrata
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Andris Bukejs
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Vienības 13, Daugavpils, 5401, Latvia
| | - Alexander S Prosvirov
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskie gory 1/12, Moscow, Russia, 119234
| | - Johana Hoffmannova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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32
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Solórzano-Kraemer MM, Delclòs X, Engel MS, Peñalver E. A revised definition for copal and its significance for palaeontological and Anthropocene biodiversity-loss studies. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19904. [PMID: 33199762 PMCID: PMC7669904 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76808-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The early fossilization steps of natural resins and associated terminology are a subject of constant debate. Copal and resin are archives of palaeontological and historical information, and their study is critical to the discovery of new and/or recently extinct species and to trace changes in forests during the Holocene. For such studies, a clear, suitable definition for copal is vital and is herein established. We propose an age range for copal (2.58 Ma—1760 AD), including Pleistocene and Holocene copals, and the novel term "Defaunation resin", defined as resin produced after the commencement of the Industrial Revolution. Defaunation resin is differentiated from Holocene copal as it was produced during a period of intense human transformative activities. Additionally, the “Latest Amber Bioinclusions Gap” (LABG) since the late Miocene to the end of the Pleistocene is hereby newly defined, and is characterized by its virtual absence of bioinclusions and the consequent lack of palaeontological information, which in part explains the historical differentiation between amber and copal. Crucial time intervals in the study of resin production, and of the biodiversity that could be contained, are now clarified, providing a framework for and focusing future research on bioinclusions preserved in copal and resin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica M Solórzano-Kraemer
- Palaeontology and Historical Geology, Senckenberg Research Institute, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Xavier Delclòs
- Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l'Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael S Engel
- Division of Entomology, Natural History Museum, and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA.,Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Enrique Peñalver
- Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (Museo Geominero), 46004, Valencia, Spain
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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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Drzewicz P, Naglik B, Natkaniec-Nowak L, Dumańska-Słowik M, Stach P, Kwaśny M, Matusik J, Milovský R, Skonieczny J, Kubica-Bąk D. Chemical and spectroscopic signatures of resins from Sumatra (Sarolangun mine, Jambi Province) and Germany (Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt). Sci Rep 2020; 10:18283. [PMID: 33106522 PMCID: PMC7588493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74671-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossil resins from Miocene coal deposit (Sarolangun mine, Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia) have been analysed using spectroscopic methods: Raman Spectroscopy (RS), Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C NMR), Fluorescence Spectroscopy (FS), and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) in order to describe their diagnostic features. Simultaneously, glessite, a fossil resin from Upper Oligocene Bitterfeld deposit (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany), originating from similar botanical sources (i.e. angiosperms) was tested with the same analytical methods in order to find similarities and differences between the resins. The resins differ in colour, transparency and amounts of inclusions (resins from Sumatra-yellow, and transparent with few inclusions; glessite-brown-red, translucent with wealth of inclusions). In general, the IR and RS spectra of these resins are very similar, probably because the glessite colour-changing additives can be very subtle and non-observable in the infrared region. The RS spectra revealed also a slight difference in intensity ratio of the 1650/1450 cm-1 bands (0.56 and 0.68 for Sumatra and Germany resins, respectively), indicating a differences in their maturation process. The resins from Sumatra seem to be more mature than glessite from Germany. The excitation-emission (EM-EX) and synchronous spectra showed unique, chemical compositions of these resins, which are different one from another. The GC-MS data for Sumatran resins, dominated by sesquiterpenoids and triterpenoids (amyrin), confirmed their botanical origin (angiosperms as their biological affinities). The sesquiterpenoid biomarkers with cadine-structures suggested the glessite underwent more advanced polymerization processes, which does not correlate with its RS spectrum. The geological factors, the environmental conditions of resin deposition, and later various diagenesis processes may have influenced the maturation and crosslinking of compounds. Despite the genetic similarity of the resins from various part of the world, Sumatra and Germany, advanced techniques such as Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Fluorescence Spectroscopy were the most useful to find the differences between them. These differences are predominantly a result of different diagenetic transformations of the resins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Drzewicz
- Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute, Rakowiecka 4, 00-975, Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Beata Naglik
- Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute, Upper Silesian Branch, Królowej Jadwigi 1, 41-200, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Lucyna Natkaniec-Nowak
- AGH UST, University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland
| | - Magdalena Dumańska-Słowik
- AGH UST, University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland
| | - Paweł Stach
- AGH UST, University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland
| | - Mirosław Kwaśny
- Institute of Optoelectronics, Military University of Technology, Gen. S. Kaliskiego 2, 00-908, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Jakub Matusik
- AGH UST, University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland
| | - Rastislav Milovský
- Earth Science Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ďumbierska 1, 974 11, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
| | - Janusz Skonieczny
- Łukasiewicz Research Network-Polish Center for Technology Development, Stabłowicka 147, 54-066, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Dorota Kubica-Bąk
- AGH UST, University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland
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35
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Roháček J. Protanthomyza grimaldii sp. nov., a further member of the extinct subfamily Protanthomyzinae (Diptera, Anthomyzidae) from Baltic amber. Zookeys 2020; 973:1-15. [PMID: 33110370 PMCID: PMC7550391 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.973.51435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A new fossil species, Protanthomyza grimaldiisp. nov. (Diptera, Anthomyzidae), is described from Baltic amber (Eocene, 48–34 Ma) based on two (male and female) inclusions. It is the ninth species of the †genus Protanthomyza Hennig, 1965 and †subfamily Protanthomyzinae Roháček, 1998. Adult morphology of P. grimaldiisp. nov. revealed that the rich chaetotaxy of the thoracic pleuron, two anal veins and presence of the anteroventral process of the epandrium are plausibly shared by all species of Protanthomyza. Relationships of the new species, which belongs to a group lacking the ctenidial spine on the fore femur, are discussed.
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Pacheco MA, Ceríaco LMP, Matta NE, Vargas-Ramírez M, Bauer AM, Escalante AA. A phylogenetic study of Haemocystidium parasites and other Haemosporida using complete mitochondrial genome sequences. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2020; 85:104576. [PMID: 33002605 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporida are diverse vector-borne parasites associated with terrestrial vertebrates. Driven by the interest in species causing malaria (genus Plasmodium), the diversity of avian and mammalian haemosporidian species has been extensively studied, relying mostly on mitochondrial genes, particularly cytochrome b. However, parasites from reptiles have been neglected in biodiversity surveys. Reptilian haemosporidian parasites include Haemocystidium, a genus that shares morphological features with Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Here, the first complete Haemocystidium mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes are studied. In particular, three mtDNA genomes from Haemocystidium spp. sampled in Africa, Oceania, and South America, are described. The Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes showed a high A + T content and a gene organization, including an extreme fragmentation of the rRNAs, found in other Haemosporida. These Haemocystidium mtDNA genomes were incorporated in phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses together with a representative sample of haemosporidian parasites from birds, mammals, and reptiles. The recovered phylogeny supported Haemocystidium as a monophyletic group apart from Plasmodium and other Haemosporida. Both the phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses yielded results consistent with a scenario in which haemosporidian parasites radiated with modern birds. Haemocystidium, like mammalian parasite clades, seems to originate from host switches by avian Haemosporida that allowed for the colonization of new vertebrate hosts. This hypothesis can be tested by investigating additional parasite species from all vertebrate hosts, particularly from reptiles. The mtDNA genomes reported here provide baseline data that can be used to scale up studies in haemosporidian parasites of reptiles using barcode approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andreína Pacheco
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA
| | - Luis M P Ceríaco
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Praça de Gomes Teixeira, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal; Departamento de Zoologia e Antropología (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Nubia E Matta
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mario Vargas-Ramírez
- Instituto de Genética, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Carrera 30 No 45-03, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085-1699, USA
| | - Ananias A Escalante
- Biology Department/Institute of Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122-1801, USA.
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Abstract
Currently, some 564 species of Curculionoidea from nine families (Nemonychidae—4, Anthribidae—33, Ithyceridae—3, Belidae—9, Rhynchitidae—41, Attelabidae—3, Brentidae—47, Curculionidae—384, Platypodidae—2, Scolytidae—37) are known from the Paleogene. Twenty-seven species are found in the Paleocene, 442 in the Eocene and 94 in the Oligocene. The greatest diversity of Curculionoidea is described from the Eocene of Europe and North America. The richest faunas are known from Eocene localities, Florissant (177 species), Baltic amber (124 species) and Green River formation (75 species). The family Curculionidae dominates in all Paleogene localities. Weevil species associated with herbaceous vegetation are present in most localities since the middle Paleocene. A list of Curculionoidea species and their distribution by location is presented.
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38
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Dal Corso J, Bernardi M, Sun Y, Song H, Seyfullah LJ, Preto N, Gianolla P, Ruffell A, Kustatscher E, Roghi G, Merico A, Hohn S, Schmidt AR, Marzoli A, Newton RJ, Wignall PB, Benton MJ. Extinction and dawn of the modern world in the Carnian (Late Triassic). SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/38/eaba0099. [PMID: 32938682 PMCID: PMC7494334 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Carnian Pluvial Episode (Late Triassic) was a time of global environmental changes and possibly substantial coeval volcanism. The extent of the biological turnover in marine and terrestrial ecosystems is not well understood. Here, we present a meta-analysis of fossil data that suggests a substantial reduction in generic and species richness and the disappearance of 33% of marine genera. This crisis triggered major radiations. In the sea, the rise of the first scleractinian reefs and rock-forming calcareous nannofossils points to substantial changes in ocean chemistry. On land, there were major diversifications and originations of conifers, insects, dinosaurs, crocodiles, lizards, turtles, and mammals. Although there is uncertainty on the precise age of some of the recorded biological changes, these observations indicate that the Carnian Pluvial Episode was linked to a major extinction event and might have been the trigger of the spectacular radiation of many key groups that dominate modern ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Dal Corso
- School of Earth and Environments, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences Wuhan, Wuhan, China
| | - Massimo Bernardi
- MUSE-Science Museum, 38122 Trento, Italy
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Yadong Sun
- GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Haijun Song
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences Wuhan, Wuhan, China
| | - Leyla J Seyfullah
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Nereo Preto
- Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Piero Gianolla
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44100 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alastair Ruffell
- School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Evelyn Kustatscher
- Museum of Nature South Tyrol, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology & Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 München, Germany
- SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, 80333 München, Germany
| | - Guido Roghi
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG-CNR), 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Agostino Merico
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), 28359 Bremen, Germany
- Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, 28759 Bremen, Germany
| | - Sönke Hohn
- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | | | - Andrea Marzoli
- Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Robert J Newton
- School of Earth and Environments, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Paul B Wignall
- School of Earth and Environments, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Michael J Benton
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK.
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Bouju V, Perrichot V. A review of amber and copal occurrences in Africa and their paleontological significance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1051/bsgf/2020018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The paleontological interest for fossil plant resins (amber and copal) has greatly increased in the last decades, as field studies have resulted in the discovery of various new deposits worldwide. Yet, amber-rich deposits remain particularly scarce on continents from former Gondwana. Here we review the known occurrences of copal and amber from Africa, with a state-of-the-art regarding the age dating, the putative plant sources, the fossil content, as well as the paleoenvironmental settings. The first African ambers known to yield arthropods and other organismal inclusions, found recently from the early Cretaceous of Congo and the Miocene of Ethiopia, are briefly overviewed.
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40
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Lozano RP, Pérez-de la Fuente R, Barrón E, Rodrigo A, Viejo JL, Peñalver E. Phloem sap in Cretaceous ambers as abundant double emulsions preserving organic and inorganic residues. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9751. [PMID: 32546844 PMCID: PMC7297994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66631-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossilized remains preserved in amber provide abundant data on the paleobiota surrounding the resin-producing plants, but relatively scarcer information about the resinous sources themselves. Here, dark pseudoinclusions in kidney-shaped amber pieces from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) amber from Spain are studied. This type of fossilized remain, abundant in Cretaceous ambers, was first interpreted as fossilized vacuole-bearing microorganisms, but later regarded as artifactual and probably secreted by the resinous trees, although their origin remained unclear. Using complementary microscopy (light, electron, confocal), spectroscopy (infrared, micro-Raman), mass spectrometry and elemental analysis techniques, we demonstrate that the pseudoinclusions correspond to droplets of phloem sap containing amber spheroids and preserving both organic and inorganic residues consistent with degraded components from the original sap. The amber pieces containing pseudoinclusions are fossilized, resin-in-sap-in-resin double emulsions, showing banding patterns with differential content of resin-in-sap emulsion droplets. Our findings represent the first time fossilized phloem sap, 105 million years old, has been recognized and characterized, and open new lines of paleontological research with taxonomic, taphonomic, physiological and ecological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Pablo Lozano
- Museo Geominero-Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, 28003, Spain.
| | | | - Eduardo Barrón
- Museo Geominero-Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, 28003, Spain
| | - Ana Rodrigo
- Museo Geominero-Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, 28003, Spain
| | - José Luis Viejo
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Darwin 2, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Peñalver
- Museo Geominero-Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, 28003, Spain.
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Delclòs X, Peñalver E, Ranaivosoa V, Solórzano-Kraemer MM. Unravelling the mystery of "Madagascar copal": Age, origin and preservation of a Recent resin. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232623. [PMID: 32421746 PMCID: PMC7233546 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The loss of biodiversity during the Anthropocene is a constant topic of discussion, especially in the top biodiversity hotspots, such as Madagascar. In this regard, the study of preserved organisms through time, like those included in "Madagascar copal", is of relevance. "Madagascar copal" originated from the leguminous tree Hymenaea verrucosa, which produced and produces resin abundantly. In the last 20 years, interest has focused on the scientific study of its biological inclusions, mainly arthropods, described in dozens of publications. The age and origin of the deposits of "Madagascar copal" have not yet been resolved. Our objectives are to determine its age and geographical origin, and thus increase its scientific value as a source of biological/palaeobiological information. Although Hymenaea was established in Madagascar during the Miocene, we did not find geological deposits of copal or amber in the island. It is plausible that the evolution of those deposits was negatively conditioned by the type of soil, by the climate, and by the development of soil/litter microorganisms, which inhibit preservation of the resin pieces in the litter and subsoil over 300 years. Our results indicate that "Madagascar copal" is a Recent resin, up to a few hundred years old, that originated from Hymenaea trees growing in the lowland coastal forests, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. The included and preserved biota is representative of that ecosystem today and during historical times. Inclusions in this Recent resin do not have the palaeontological significance that has been mistakenly attributed to them, but they do have relevant implications for studies regarding Anthropocene biodiversity loss in this hottest hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Delclòs
- Departament Dinàmica de la Terra i de l’Oceà, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique Peñalver
- Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (Museo Geominero), Valencia, Spain
| | - Voajanahary Ranaivosoa
- Département Bassins sédimentaires, Evolution et Conservation, Faculté des Sciences, Université d’Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
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42
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Abstract
All 142 known species of Curculionoidea in Eocene amber are documented, including one species of Nemonychidae, 16 species of Anthribidae, six species of Belidae, 10 species of Rhynchitidae, 13 species of Brentidae, 70 species of Curcuionidae, two species of Platypodidae, and 24 species of Scolytidae. Oise amber has eight species, Baltic amber has 118 species, and Rovno amber has 16 species. Nine new genera and 18 new species are described from Baltic amber. Four new synonyms are noted: Palaeometrioxena Legalov, 2012, syn. nov. is synonymous with Archimetrioxena Voss, 1953; Paleopissodes weigangae Ulke, 1947, syn. nov. is synonymous with Electrotribus theryi Hustache, 1942; Electrotribus erectosquamata Rheinheimer, 2007, syn. nov. is synonymous with Succinostyphlus mroczkowskii Kuska, 1996; Protonaupactus Zherikhin, 1971, syn. nov. is synonymous with Paonaupactus Voss, 1953. Keys for Eocene amber Curculionoidea are given. There are the first records of Aedemonini and Camarotini, and genera Limalophus and Cenocephalus in Baltic amber.
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43
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Peris D, Rust J. Cretaceous beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) in amber: the palaeoecology of this most diverse group of insects. Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Beetles, the most successful group of invertebrates on Earth, have a worldwide distribution and an outstanding fossil record. In addition, they are well known as inclusions in fossil resin. In historical studies of fossil material, specimens were often named and described without placing the taxa in an ecological context. However, the research philosophy for fossil beetles has changed over the past few years. In this article, we summarize the palaeoecological interpretations of fossil beetles from Cretaceous ambers, which includes species from 69 families, most of which were described during the last 3 years. By analysing current habits of those families, we argue that saproxylicity was the most common feeding strategy for these fossil beetles. More specifically, fungivorous species appear to dominate. In contrast, we find only anecdotal evidence for the presence of wood-boring groups, and it is thus necessary to identify alternative abiotic or biotic processes that are responsible for the copious resin production at this time. Finally, the recent description of some beetles as gymnosperm pollinators during the Cretaceous lends more weight to the importance of amber studies in addressing the role of beetles in the evolution of pollination strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Peris
- Institut für Geowissenschaften und Meteorologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jes Rust
- Institut für Geowissenschaften und Meteorologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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44
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Baranov VA, Schädel M, Haug JT. Fly palaeo-evo-devo: immature stages of bibionomorphan dipterans in Baltic and Bitterfeld amber. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7843. [PMID: 31616596 PMCID: PMC6790230 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Larvae of flies and gnats (Diptera) form a crucial component of many terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in the extant biosphere. Larvae of Diptera play a central role in water purification, matter and energy transfer in riparian ecosystems in rivers, carbon cycling in lakes and forests as well as being major decomposers of dead organic matter. Despite all these important roles, dipteran larvae are most often ignored in palaeoecological studies, due to the difficulty of the taxonomic identification of fossil larvae, but also due to the perceived importance of adult dipterans in palaeoentomological and taxonomic studies. Despite that, much information on palaeoecosystems can be gained from studying fossil dipteran larvae, in particular for well preserved specimens from fossil resins (ambers and copals). Since ambers are selectively preserving fauna of trunks and leaf litter, it allows us to learn a lot about xylophages and saprophages of amber forests, such as Eocene Baltic amber forest. Here we present immature stages (larvae and pupae) of the dipteran ingroup Bibionomorpha, from Baltic and Bitterfeld amber forests. We have recorded at least four different larval morphotypes, one with four distinct instars, and at least three pupal morphotypes. One larva is recognised as a new species and can be interpreted either as a representative of a highly derived ingroup of Bibionidae or as a sister species to Bibionidae. Also represented by single larval specimens are the groups Pachyneura (Pachyneuridae) and Sylvicola (Anisopodidae). The majority of the recorded specimens are representatives of the group Mycetobia (Anisopodidae). Due to the abundance of immature stages of Mycetobia, we have been able to reconstruct the number of larval stages (4) and relative growth rate of these fossil dipterans. We discuss implications of these finds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor A. Baranov
- Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Bayern, Germany
| | - Mario Schädel
- Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Bayern, Germany
| | - Joachim T. Haug
- Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg, Bayern, Germany
- Geobio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Bayern, Germany
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Casadei-Ferreira A, Chaul JCM, Feitosa RM. A new species of Pheidole (Formicidae, Myrmicinae) from Dominican amber with a review of the fossil records for the genus. Zookeys 2019; 866:117-125. [PMID: 31388325 PMCID: PMC6669217 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.866.35756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pheidole comprises approximately 1,000 extant species distributed worldwide, being particularly diverse in the New World. In addition to its high diversity and ecological prevalence, the genus is also characterized by the predominantly intraspecific dimorphism, with major and minor workers. Currently, five fossil species are known, all of which are represented only by minor workers. A new species, †Pheidoleanticuasp. nov., is described from Dominican amber, based on a major worker. Additionally, the identity of the currently known fossil species in Pheidole is discussed and †P.cordata from Baltic amber is considered as incertae sedis, resulting in no Pheidole species currently recognized for Baltic amber
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Casadei-Ferreira
- Laboratório de Sistemática e Biologia de Formigas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, s/n, Centro Politécnico, Mailbox 19020, 81531-980, Curitiba, Brazil Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
| | - Julio C M Chaul
- Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, MG, Brazil Universidade Federal de Viçosa Viçosa Brazil
| | - Rodrigo M Feitosa
- Laboratório de Sistemática e Biologia de Formigas, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, s/n, Centro Politécnico, Mailbox 19020, 81531-980, Curitiba, Brazil Universidade Federal do Paraná Curitiba Brazil
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Abstract
Aquatic organisms are rarely found in amber, but when they occur they provide invaluable evidence for the better understanding of amber taphonomy and past ecosystems. We report an ammonite and several marine gastropods alongside a mixed assemblage of intertidal and terrestrial forest floor organisms in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Our discovery indicates that the Burmese amber forest was living near a dynamic and shifting coastal environment. The ammonite also provides supporting evidence for the age of the amber, which is still debated, and represents a rare example of dating using fossils present inside the amber. Amber is fossilized tree resin, and inclusions usually comprise terrestrial and, rarely, aquatic organisms. Marine fossils are extremely rare in Cretaceous and Cenozoic ambers. Here, we report a record of an ammonite with marine gastropods, intertidal isopods, and diverse terrestrial arthropods as syninclusions in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. We used X-ray–microcomputed tomography (CT) to obtain high-resolution 3D images of the ammonite, including its sutures, which are diagnostically important for ammonites. The ammonite is a juvenile Puzosia (Bhimaites) and provides supporting evidence for a Late Albian–Early Cenomanian age of the amber. There is a diverse assemblage (at least 40 individuals) of arthropods in this amber sample from both terrestrial and marine habitats, including Isopoda, Acari (mites), Araneae (spiders), Diplopoda (millipedes), and representatives of the insect orders Blattodea (cockroaches), Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (true flies), and Hymenoptera (wasps). The incomplete preservation and lack of soft body of the ammonite and marine gastropods suggest that they were dead and underwent abrasion on the seashore before entombment. It is most likely that the resin fell to the beach from coastal trees, picking up terrestrial arthropods and beach shells and, exceptionally, surviving the high-energy beach environment to be preserved as amber. Our findings not only represent a record of an ammonite in amber but also provide insights into the taphonomy of amber and the paleoecology of Cretaceous amber forests.
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