First caddisflies (Trichoptera) in Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber

Author(s):  
Wilfried Wichard ◽  
Dany Azar

ABSTRACTLebanese amber contains a diverse biota from the Lower Cretaceous, and more than 150 families of arthropods have been reported as inclusions. Amongst these, caddisflies (Trichoptera) are very scarce inclusions, consisting of a few indeterminate fragments and only two inclusions that permit clear descriptions of new species. We describe the first two Trichoptera species from Lebanese amber, belonging respectively to Dipseudopsidae (Phylocentropus succinolebanensis n. sp.) and Ecnomidae (Ecnomus cretacia n. sp.). Previously, the oldest fossil representatives of both families were known from the Upper Cretaceous amber of New Jersey for Dipseudopsidae and from the Eocene Baltic amber for Ecnomidae.

1997 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Squires ◽  
Louella R. Saul

The Cretaceous and early Cenozoic species of the shallow-marine, warm-water bivalve Plicatula from California (United States) and Baja California (Mexico) are reviewed, and three new species are named. All of these species are representatives of Plicatula and not of the closely related taxon Harpax, which is associated with high-latitude and cool-water regions. The earliestknown Cretaceous species of Plicatula from the study area is P. variata Gabb, 1864, from Lower Cretaceous (Hauterivian Stage) strata in northern California, and our studies show it to be conspecific with Plicatula onoensis Anderson, 1958.Plicatula allisoni new species is from Lower Cretaceous (Albian Stage) strata in Baja California, Mexico. Plicatula modjeskaensis new species is from Upper Cretaceous (Turonian Stage) strata in the Santa Ana Mountains, southern California. A possible new species from the same strata is also mentioned. A poorly preserved specimen of Plicatula? sp. is known from Upper Cretaceous (upper Campanian to lower Maastrichtian) strata in northern California.The only Paleocene species of Plicatula from the study area is P. ostreiformis Stanton, 1896, from lower Paleocene strata of Lake County, northern California, and our studies show it to be conspecific with Ostrea buwaldana Dickerson, 1914. The only previously described Eocene species of Plicatula from the study area is P. juncalensis Squires, 1987, from lower middle Eocene (“Capay Stage”) strata of Los Angeles County, southern California. Plicatula surensis new species is from middle lower Eocene (“Capay Stage”) strata in Baja California Sur, Mexico. In addition, there is a Plicatula? sp. from Eocene strata of Baja California Sur, Mexico.Although Plicatula is of uncommon occurrence north of Baja California, its thermophilic trait makes it useful in recognizing periods of warm climate.


Botany ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 94 (9) ◽  
pp. 831-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio H. Escapa ◽  
Maria A. Gandolfo ◽  
William L. Crepet ◽  
Kevin C. Nixon

A new species of anatomically preserved Cupressaceae is described from the Upper Cretaceous Raritan Formation (New Jersey, USA). The fossils are charcolified isolated ovuliferous complexes that were studied by means of a combination of SEM images and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), allowing the observation of morphological and anatomical characters. Each ovuliferous complex bears 3–4 anatropous winged seeds, disposed in one row on a thin medial part of the adaxial side of the ovuliferous complex. Based on the combination of characters such as ovuliferous complex morphology, arrangement of vascular tissues and resin canals, seed number and their morphology, orientation and disposition, these fossils are placed within a new species of the fossil genus Athrotaxites. The developmental stage of the specimens is analyzed base on comparisons with living representatives of the subfamily Athrotaxoideae (i.e., Athrotaxis spp.), which supports a post-pollination stage for these fossils. In addition, the new species is compared with other extant and extinct representatives of basal cupressaceous subfamilies. This new record from the Upper Cretaceous sediments of New Jersey further supports a wider distribution of the subfamily Athrotaxoideae during the middle part of the Mesozoic, as it has been also noted for other basal representatives of the family Cupressaceae.


Zitteliana ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
pp. 135-145
Author(s):  
Thilo C. Fischer

Fossil leaf-mining caterpillars from amber are firstly described as the new species Phyllocnistis cretacea from Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber and Phyllonorycter inopinata from Eocene Baltic amber. Both show typical traits of leaf-miners, and specifically, of later instars of caterpillars of their respective genera. The findings give further evidence for these being quite old and conservative genera of Gracillariidae. These are basal Ditrysia which retained the larval feeding and mining live mode. The findings also represent direct fossil evidence of individual stages of hypermetamorphosis known from extant Gracillariidae. The finds from the Upper Cretaceous and their putative identifications give direct evidence for a minimal geological age for the genus Phyllocnistis (Phyllocnistinae) and, by indirect conclusion based on their divergence, also for the genus Phyllonorycter in a sister clade (Lithocolletinae). It also predates mining habit closer to the time of radiation of their angiospermous host plants.


Author(s):  
Ryszard Szadziewski

ABSTRACTBiting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are a large family of flies that commononly appear in Lower Cretaceous to Miocene strata, with over 280 fossil species (4.3 % of the family), belonging to 49 genera (26 extant; 23 extinct). Morphological characters used in the identification of fossil genera and species are identical to those used in studies of extant Ceratopogonidae and, as a result, their potential indicative value is reliable. Two relictual extant genera, Leptoconops and Austroconops, reported from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber, are at least 125 million years old. Certain ceratopogonid genera are indicative for the Lower Cretaceous, Upper Cretaceous, Eocene or Miocene. A morphological character indicative for the Upper Cretaceous and Cenozoic is macrotrichia on the wing membrane of adults. Indicator species and genera are reviewed for all amber deposits. Eocene Baltic amber contains the best known fauna of biting midges, with 109 named species. Some genera are indicative of aquatic and semiaquatic habitats (predaceous genera, subfamily Ceratopogoninae), forests with rotting trees (Forcipomyia), sandy sea shore habitats (Leptoconops), a cold boreal climate (Ceratopogon) or warm climates (Nannohelea, Austroconops, Leptoconops, Meunierohelea, Metahelea). Females require a protein-rich meal and are well known for feeding on the blood of vertebrates, but many feed on other things, so this information can help with the interpretation of palaeoenvironments. Washingtonhelea taimyrica Szadziewski, 1996, described from Siberian amber, is transferred to the fossil genus Palaeobrachypogon: P.taimyricus (Szadziewski, 1996), comb. nov. For Serromyia alphea, mistakenly redescribed and illustrated from Eocene Bitterfeld amber (= Baltic amber) by Szadziewski (1993), a new name – Serromyiaerrata Szadziewski, nom. nov. – is proposed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 83-94
Author(s):  
FELIX SCHLAGINTWEIT

An assemblage of agglutinated conical foraminifera including Lepinoconus chiocchinii Cruz-Abad et al., Calveziconus lecalvezae Caus & Cornella, Paleodictyoconus sp., and Paracoskinolina klokovaensis n. sp. are described from the upper lower-middle Campanian of Klokova Mountain of the Gavrovo-Tripolitza Zone, SW continental Greece. With the presence of one rafter in the marginal zone, the new species P. klokovaensis compares to the Lower Cretaceous species Paracoskinolina arcuata (Arnaud-Vanneau) that is distinguished by its cylindroconical test morphology and much larger size. The assemblage occurs in inner platform carbonates associated with other foraminifers such as dicyclinids, and Accordiella conica Farinacci. Representatives of the genus Paracoskinolina were so far only reliably reported from the Upper Berriasian–Albian interval. This new record suggests that the genus either survived the larger benthic foraminifera extinction event associated with the Cenomanian – Turonian boundary anoxic event, or may be an example of an Elvis taxon or homoplasy.


1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1479-1494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Fox

The discovery of tribosphenic molars of primitive construction in the Upper Milk River Formation (early Campanian), Alberta, documents the occurrence of a relict middle Late Cretaceous mammalian species that shows closest dental resemblance to Lower Cretaceous therians of metatherian–eutherian grade now classified as Theria, incertae sedis. The molar crowns of This new species have a wide stylar shelf, small, low protocone, distal trigonid crest, and lack conules and a shelf-like preparaconule crista mesial to the paracone; these and other coronal features indicate a more primitive level of molar evolution than known for Cretaceous Metatheria or Eutheria. Although too late in time to be ancestral to Cretaceous higher Theria, the new Milk River species may clarify aspects of their origin.


2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-290
Author(s):  
J. Mark Erickson

AbstractIn midcontinent North America, the Fox Hills Formation (Upper Cretaceous, upper Maastrichtian) preserves the last marine faunas in the central Western Interior Seaway (WIS).Neritoptyx hogansoninew species, a small littoral snail, exhibited allometric change from smooth to corded ornament and rounded to shouldered shape during growth. Specimens preserve a zig-zag pigment pattern that changes to an axial pattern during growth.Neritoptyx hogansoninew species was preyed on by decapod crustaceans, and spent shells were occupied by pagurid crabs. Dead mollusk shells, particularly those ofCrassostrea subtrigonalis(Evans and Shumard, 1857), provided a hard substrate to which they adhered on the Fox Hills tidal flats. This new neritimorph gastropod establishes a paleogeographic and chronostratigraphic proxy for intertidal conditions on the Dakota Isthmus during the late Maastrichtian. Presence of a neritid extends the marine tropical/temperate boundary in the WIS northward to ~44° late Maastrichtian paleolatitude. Late Maastrichtian closure of the isthmus subsequently altered marine heat transfer by interrupting northward flow of tropical currents from the Gulf Coast by as much as 1 to 1.5 million years before the Cretaceous ended.UUID:http://zoobank.org/3ba56c07-fcca-4925-a2f0-df663fc3a06b


Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4544 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
MACIEJ WOJTOŃ ◽  
IWONA KANIA ◽  
WIESŁAW KRZEMIŃSKI
Keyword(s):  

A revision of the genus Mycetobia Meigen, 1818 from the Eocene is presented. Redescription of Mycetobia connexa Meunier, 1899 known from the Baltic amber is given and documented by photographs and drawings. Five new species of Mycetobia from Eocene resins are described, four from Baltic amber: Mycetobia christelae sp. nov., Mycetobia hansi sp. nov., Mycetobia silvia sp. nov., Mycetobia szwedoi sp. nov. and one from the Ukrainian amber: Mycetobia perkovskyi sp. nov. Key to the species of Mycetobia known from the Eocene is provided. 


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