scholarly journals New insects feeding on dinosaur feathers in mid-Cretaceous amber

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taiping Gao ◽  
Xiangchu Yin ◽  
Chungkun Shih ◽  
Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn ◽  
Xing Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Early Evolution ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Tarsal Claw ◽  
Fossil Records

AbstractDue to a lack of Mesozoic fossil records, the origins and early evolution of feather-feeding behaviors by insects are obscure. Here, we report ten nymph specimens of a new lineage of insect, Mesophthirus engeli gen et. sp. nov. within Mesophthiridae fam. nov. from the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 100 Mya) Myanmar (Burmese) amber. This new insect clade shows a series of ectoparasitic morphological characters such as tiny wingless body, head with strong chewing mouthparts, robust and short antennae having long setae, legs with only one single tarsal claw associated with two additional long setae, etc. Most significantly, these insects are preserved with partially damaged dinosaur feathers, the damage of which was probably made by these insects’ integument-feeding behaviors. This finding demonstrates that feather-feeding behaviors of insects originated at least in mid-Cretaceous, accompanying the radiation of feathered dinosaurs including early birds.

Taxonomic notes on Cretarophalis patrickmuelleri Wichard, 2017 (Insecta: Neuroptera: Nevrorthidae) from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar, and its phylogenetic significance

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4370 (5) ◽  
pp. 591 ◽  
Author(s):  
XIUMEI LU ◽  
FANGYUAN XIA ◽  
BO WANG ◽  
ULRIKE ASPÖCK ◽  
XINGYUE LIU
Keyword(s):  
Present Finding ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Larval Life ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
The Family ◽  
Phylogenetic Status ◽  
Fossil Records ◽  
Preliminary Description ◽  
Evolutionary Stasis

Nevrorthidae is a family of Neuroptera with low species diversity, disjunct geographic distributions, and a controversial phylogenetic status. Previous fossil records of the family are from the Eocene except for the recently described species Cretarophalis patrickmuelleri Wichard, 2017 from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, following earlier records of an undescribed species. However, such a significant finding of this family from Mesozoic was originally presented only with a preliminary description. Here we re-describe the species based on exquisitely preserved materials from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber that provides for a much more detailed description, in particular of the hindwing, female genitalia, and larval head. Furthermore, distinctive morphological characters of C. patrickmuelleri with significant phylogenetic relevance are discussed. The general morphology, particularly that of the larva, has changed little between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, and it reflects an evolutionary stasis that might correspond to their aquatic larval life-style. The present finding also supports the relictual nature of the modern nevrorthids. 

scholarly journals Burmese amber reveals a new stem lineage of whirligig beetle (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae) based on the larval stage

2020 ◽  
Vol 189 (4) ◽  
pp. 1232-1248
Author(s):  
Grey T Gustafson ◽  
Mariano C Michat ◽  
Michael Balke
Keyword(s):  
Larval Stage ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Extinction Event ◽  
Stem Lineage ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Mass Extinction Event

Abstract Burmese amber is well known for preserving unique extinct lineages of insects. Here, we describe a new fossil beetle in its larval stage from Burmese amber. Bayesian and parsimony phylogenetic analysis of 50 morphological characters support this fossil as being sister to both the tribes Dineutini and Orectochilini, representing an extinct stem lineage in Gyrininae. It is described here as a new genus and species of whirligig beetle, Chimerogyrus gigagalea gen. & sp. nov., a taxon that preserves remarkable intermediate features between the whirligig beetle tribe Gyrinini and the crown Orectochilini and Dineutini. This new taxon preserves key features for studying the evolution of characters within the larval stage of the Gyrinidae and highlights the importance of Burmese amber for preserving both stem and crown lineages present during the mid-Cretaceous, before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event.

Hidden diversity of small predators: new thorny lacewings from mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Neuroptera: Rhachiberothidae: Paraberothinae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 157 (7) ◽  
pp. 1149-1175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Nakamine ◽  
Shûhei Yamamoto ◽  
Yui Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Morphological Variation ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Morphological Structure ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Size Number ◽  
Fossil Records

AbstractThorny lacewings (Rhachiberothidae) are currently distributed only within Africa, whereas they are prevalent in the fossil record of various Cretaceous ambers across the Northern Hemisphere, with a handful of the fossil records from some Eocene European ambers. Four rhachiberothid species in four extinct genera are known from the mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. Here, we report further examples of the remarkable palaeodiversity of this group from the same amber deposit, adding the four new fossil genera and seven new species: Acanthoberotha cuspis gen. et sp. nov., Astioberotha falcipes gen. et sp. nov., Stygioberotha siculifera gen. et sp. nov., Uranoberotha chariessa gen. et sp. nov., Creagroparaberotha cuneata sp. nov., Micromantispa galeata sp. nov. and M. spicata sp. nov. Based on a series of well-preserved specimens, we discuss the fine details of the raptorial forelegs and genital segments, which may be important for elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among genera. Our findings reveal an unexpectedly diverse assemblage of thorny lacewings in the Cretaceous System, highlighting the morphologically diverse rhachiberothids in Burmese amber. The discovery of seven additional rhachiberothid species in Myanmar amber suggests the potential for much higher diversity and abundance of the Cretaceous rhachiberothids than previously documented. Furthermore, morphological variation in the raptorial forelegs was found to be extremely diverse among the Burmese amber paraberothines, especially in terms of the size, number and shape of spines (or spine-like setae) on the inner edges of protibia, and the morphological structure of the probasitarsus.

Pinguisoperla, a new fossil genus of Perlidae (Insecta: Plecoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4425 (3) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZHI-TENG CHEN
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
The Family ◽  
Fossil Genus ◽  
Dark Coloration

A new fossil stonefly genus and species of the family Perlidae, Pinguisoperla yangzhouensis gen. et sp. nov., is proposed as the second known genus from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new genus is characterized by its dark coloration and the basally enlarged and curved cerci. Morphological characters of the new genus and species are described, illustrated, and compared with related taxa. 

scholarly journals Evolution and palaeoecology of early turtles: a review based on recent discoveries in the Middle Jurassic

2011 ◽  
Vol 182 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérémy Anquetin
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Middle Jurassic ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Early Evolution ◽  
Bone Histology ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Crown Group ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
First Time ◽  
Lines Of Evidence

AbstractIn recent years, no less than five new species of early turtles have been described worldwide. Among them are three new turtles from Middle Jurassic deposits that partially fill a previous temporal and morphological gap in our knowledge of the early evolution of these shelled amniotes: Heckerochelys romani, Condorchelys antiqua and Eileanchelys waldmani. For the first time, the phylogenetic position of these three new species is tested in the context of the two presently competing cladistic models of turtle evolution. The addition of these taxa to each matrix does not favour or alter any of the two opposed hypotheses. However, it is demonstrated here that, by documenting yet unknown stages in the evolution of several morphological structures, these three species give stronger support to the model of an extended phylogenetic stem for turtles. These new lines of evidence include the structure of the vomer, the position of the aditus canalis stapedio-temporalis and of the posterior opening of the canalis cavernosus, and the morphology of the processus interfenestralis of the opisthotic.Recent discoveries also reinvigorate the debate about the palaeoecology of early turtles. Whereas simple morphological characters (e.g., shell fontanelle, ligamentous bridge, flattened carapace) can be misleading, forelimb proportions and shell bone histology have led to the conclusion that most stem turtles (i.e., Proganochelys quenstedti, Palaeochersis talampayensis, Proterochersis robusta, Kayentachelys aprix and meiolaniids) were terrestrial forms. At least two out of the five recently described early turtles have been convincingly interpreted as having aquatic habits: Odontochelys semitestacea and Eileanchelys waldmani. More investigation is needed, but this will undoubtedly trigger further debate on the primitive ecology of turtles and on the origin of aquatic habits in testudines (i.e., the crown-group), respectively.

Current status of Andricus mairei (Kieffer), with synonymization of two species from China (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4808 (3) ◽  
pp. 507-525
Author(s):  
JULI PUJADE-VILLAR ◽  
YIPING WANG ◽  
RUI GUO ◽  
VICTOR CUESTA-PORTA ◽  
MIQUEL A. ARNEDO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Intraspecific Variability ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
The Other ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Lower Face ◽  
Strong Current ◽  
Tarsal Claw ◽  
Senior Synonym

The original description of Parandricus mairei Kieffer, 1906 included a misinterpretation of a relevant forewing trait. The species was subsequently transferred to the genus Andricus, despite presenting two very peculiar morphological characters, namely a simple tarsal claw and the absence of irradiating carinae on the lower face. Similarly, the original descriptions of Andricus deqingis Wang, Gui, Chen, 2013 and A. flavus Pujade-Villar, Wang, Guo & Chen, 2014 included some relevant mistakes. Here, we present the results of a molecular analysis that reveals that individuals of the three species are genetically very similar; supporting the proposal that A. mairei is a senior synonym of the other two species, A. deqingis n. syn. and A. flavus n. syn. In addition, our results indicate that Parandricus renders Andricus paraphyletic, which supports that Parandricus is a junior synonym of Andricus. We re-describe and illustrate the relevant characters of A. mairei and provide additional comments on the characters erroneously interpreted in the former descriptions and give notes about the biology and intraspecific variability. 

Scydmaenus linqibini sp. nov., a new fossil Scydmaenini in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 036-040
Author(s):  
ZIWEI YIN ◽  
DEYAO ZHOU
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Evolutionary Stage ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Morphological Disparity ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fossil Records

The tribe Scydmaenini is the second most diverse group of the ant-like stone beetle subfamily Scydmaeninae, with more than 730 extant species classified in seven extant genera (Newton, 2019). However, confirmed fossil records important for elucidating the evolutionary history of the tribe are extremely rare, represented by only two species previously reported from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber (Yin et al., 2018; Yin & Cai, 2019). Provided in this paper is the description of a third fossil species of Scydmaenini, again from Burmese amber, which sheds new light on the palaeodiversity and morphological disparity of this group during its early evolutionary stage.

New data on fossil mimarachnids (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Fulgoroidea) in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
YANZHE FU ◽  
DIYING HUANG
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Burmese Amber ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
A New Species

Mimarachnidae is an extinct planthopper family of the superfamily Fulgoroidea, with ten genera from the Cretaceous of Eurasia. Here, we describe a new genus, Cretodorus gen. nov. and two new species, Cretodorus granulatus sp. nov. and C. angustus sp. nov., on the basis of four specimens from the mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. This remarkable genus can be separated from all other mimarachnids as follows: moderately elongate head, anteriorly protruded pronotum with straight lateral carinae, and unbranched MP of tegmen. Additionally, a new species of Burmissus Shcherbakov, 2017, Burmissus latimaculatus sp. nov., is described from the same Burmese amber, and the morphological characters of Burmissus szwedoi Luo, Jiang, Wang & Xiao, 2020 are supplemented for pronotum, clypeus, rostrum, and legs. These new discoveries enrich the palaeodiversity of mimarachnid planthoppers to fifteen species, ten of which are described from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, suggesting that this extinct family remained highly diverse during this period.

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