First inclusion of a trichiine beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Baltic amber

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 425-429
Author(s):  
VITALII I. ALEKSEEV
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
Fossil Insects ◽  
Fossil Plant ◽  
Extant Genus ◽  
Early Tertiary ◽  
History Of ◽  
Scientific Attention ◽  
Large Flower

Baltic amber forms the largest known Konservat-Lagerstätte of fossil plant resin and the richest repository of fossil insects of any age on Earth. Despite a long history of palaeobiological research of Baltic amber (over 200 years) and really intensive taxonomic study in the last decade, many interesting and new bioinclusions await scientific attention. In the current paper, the brief report of an unique large flower chafer inclusion from the Early Tertiary Baltic amber is provided. The author decided not to formally create a new genus and not to subjectively assign the Eocene beetle to an extant genus. However, the specimen seems to be remarkable and surprising in different aspects. The reported Eocene beetle is: 1) one of the oldest members of the subfamily Cetoniinae and also the earliest fossil record of the tribe Trichiini; 2) the first known representative of the subfamily in Baltic amber; 3) the largest known beetle fossilized in amber; and 4) an unique example of mineralized fossil included in amber.

Chrysolampine Wasps (Chalcidoidea: Perilampidae sensu lato) From Baltic Amber

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger A Burks ◽  
Lars Krogmann ◽  
John M Heraty
Keyword(s):  
Fore Wing ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
Wing Venation ◽  
First Instar ◽  
Extant Genus ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
History Of

Abstract Chrysolampine wasps belong to a unique lineage of Chalcidoidea characterized by mobile first instar larvae and known as the planidial clade. The fossil history of this biologically highly derived group of parasitoids is still little known due to the scarcity of preserved fossils. Here, we report the discovery of four specimens of Chrysolampinae from Eocene Baltic amber, representing the first fossil record for the subfamily. All specimens can be assigned to the extant genus Brachyelatus Hoffer & Novicky and are described as Brachyelatus marthae sp. nov. Brachyelatus is characterized by a number of putative plesiomorphies, such as a short petiole and a smoothly sloping pronotum. Synapomorphies with other Chrysolampinae include pores in sloping depressions on the male scape, shape of the clypeus, and features of the fore wing venation. The fossils differ from all examined extant members of Chrysolampinae by the arrangement of the uncal sensilla on the fore wing stigma in a straight line.

Diversity of Eocene Ripiphoridae with descriptions of the first species of Pelecotominae and larva of Ripidiinae (Coleoptera)

2019 ◽  
Vol 188 (2) ◽  
pp. 412-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Batelka ◽  
Evgeny E Perkovsky ◽  
Jakub Prokop
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
East Mediterranean ◽  
African Species ◽  
Extant Genus ◽  
Female Holotype ◽  
History Of ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Sakhalin Amber

Abstract The Eocene records of the beetle family Ripiphoridae are evaluated and summarized. A new species of Pelecotominae belonging to the genus Clinops, C. svachaisp. nov. from Baltic amber, is described and figured. The female holotype of C. svachai is the first Palaeogene member of this subfamily to be identified. In addition, a male of a different unidentified genus of Pelecotominae, preserved as an inclusion in Baltic amber, is documented. The first Palaeogene primary larva of Ripiphoridae is described from Sakhalin amber and is compared with all other primary larvae of this family. The larva is attributed to Ripidius (Ripidiinae) and bears some unique characters absent in larvae of this extant genus. A putative record of Ripiphorus (Ripiphorinae) in the Berendt collection is identified as a member of Ripidius. Distribution of Eocene species are compared with those of their closest extant relatives and mapped. Based on the fossil record and the distribution of extant South African species of Clinops, this genus is tentatively thought to be an example of an Eocene relict, while the extant pelecotomine genus Scotoscopus from the East Mediterranean is considered to be an Oligocene–Miocene relict as its distribution corresponds with the geological history of the Aegais landmass.

A fossil record of land plant origins from charophyte algae

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 373 (6556) ◽  
pp. 792-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul K. Strother ◽  
Clinton Foster
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Phylogenetic Signal ◽  
Land Plant ◽  
Fossil Plants ◽  
Fossil Plant ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
History Of ◽  
Time Gap ◽  
Evolutionary Continuity

Molecular time trees indicating that embryophytes originated around 500 million years ago (Ma) during the Cambrian are at odds with the record of fossil plants, which first appear in the mid-Silurian almost 80 million years later. This time gap has been attributed to a missing fossil plant record, but that attribution belies the case for fossil spores. Here, we describe a Tremadocian (Early Ordovician, about 480 Ma) assemblage with elements of both Cambrian and younger embryophyte spores that provides a new level of evolutionary continuity between embryophytes and their algal ancestors. This finding suggests that the molecular phylogenetic signal retains a latent evolutionary history of the acquisition of the embryophytic developmental genome, a history that perhaps began during Ediacaran-Cambrian time but was not completed until the mid-Silurian (about 430 Ma).

scholarly journals International Palaeoentomological Society—20 years after

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
JACEK SZWEDO
Keyword(s):  
Upper Paleolithic ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
Fossil Insects ◽  
Ancient Rome ◽  
History Of

Fossilised insects probably brought man’s attention since the prehistory, since first amber with an insect entombed in resin was found. Amber was collected and used by humans first in the Upper Paleolithic period, perhaps as long ago as 20,000 years (Beck et al., 2009; Burdukiewicz, 2009; Płonka & Kowalski, 2017). The written testimonies on amber inclusions goes back to Ancient Rome (Plinius Secundus, 77). During 17th and 18th centuries the inclusions in amber were noted by philosophers (Bacon, 1638), their values discussed and illustrated (e.g., Sendel, 1742) and their importance to understanding the history of life pointed (Kant in Hagen, 1821). Shortly after Linnaeus “Systema Naturae” editions, the first research using binomial names for insect included in the copal was published (Bloch, 1776) and Pleistocene record of Recent beetle was noted by Fabricius (1775). Notes and information on fossil insects from imprints and amber were presented by Lang (1708), Bertrand (1763), Linnaeus (1778) and Volta (1796). The first regular description of beetle inclusion in Baltic amber came from Gravenhorst (1806) and works of de Serres (1828, 1829) seems to be the first with more detailed overview and description of insects as adpression fossils. Therefore, human’s palaeoentomological interests predates official beginning of modern taxonomy and palaeoentomology as science is as old as modern entomology (Azar et al., 2018).

scholarly journals Lygistorrhinidae (Diptera: Bibionomorpha: Sciaroidea) in early Eocene Cambay amber

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frauke Stebner ◽  
Hukam Singh ◽  
Jes Rust ◽  
David A. Grimaldi
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
Early Eocene ◽  
The Third ◽  
Extant Genus ◽  
Three New Species

One new genus and three new species of Lygistorrhinidae in early Eocene Cambay amber from India are described, which significantly increases our knowledge about this group in the Eocene.Lygistorrhina indican. sp. is the oldest fossil known from this extant genus.Indorrhina sahniin. gen. et sp. shows morphological similarities to each of the two extant generaLygistorrhinaandAsiorrhina.Palaeognoriste orientaleis the third species known from a group that has only been recorded from Eocene Baltic amber before. The latter finding reveals faunal links between Cambay amber and the probably slightly younger Baltic amber, adding further evidence that faunal exchange between Europe/Asia and India took place before the formation of Cambay amber.

scholarly journals The fossil history of pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones)

Fossil Record ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danilo Harms ◽  
Jason A. Dunlop
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
Tree Bark ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Morphological Reconstruction ◽  
Morphological Stasis ◽  
History Of ◽  
Extinction Events ◽  
Phylogenetic Affinities

Abstract. Pseudoscorpions, given their resemblance to scorpions, have attracted human attention since the time of Aristotle, although they are much smaller and lack the sting and elongated tail. These arachnids have a long evolutionary history but their origins and phylogenetic affinities are still being debated. Here, we summarise their fossil record based on a comprehensive review of the literature and data contained in other sources. Pseudoscorpions are one of the oldest colonisers of the land, with fossils known since the Middle Devonian (ca. 390 Ma). The only arachnid orders with an older fossil record are scorpions, harvestmen and acariform mites, plus two extinct groups. Pseudoscorpions do not fossilise easily, and records from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic consist almost exclusively of amber inclusions. Most Mesozoic fossils come from Archingeay and Burmese ambers (Late Cretaceous) and those from the Cenozoic are primarily from Eocene Baltic amber, although additional fossils from, for example, Miocene Dominican and Mexican ambers, are known. Overall, 16 of the 26 families of living pseudoscorpions have been documented from fossils and 49 currently valid species are recognised in the literature. Pseudoscorpions represent a case of morphological stasis and even the Devonian fossils look rather modern. Indeed, most amber fossils are comparable to Recent groups despite a major gap in the fossil record of almost 250 Myr. Baltic amber inclusions indicate palaeofauna inhabiting much warmer climates than today and point to climatic shifts in central Europe since the Eocene. They also indicate that some groups (e.g. Feaellidae and Pseudogarypidae) had much wider Eocene distributions. Their present-day occurrence is relictual and highlights past extinction events. Faunas from younger tropical amber deposits (e.g. Dominican and Mexican amber) are comparable to Recent ones. Generally, there is a strong bias in the amber record towards groups that live under tree bark, whereas those from litter habitats are underrepresented. We also discuss challenges in interpreting fossils: their cryptic morphology warranting novel techniques of morphological reconstruction, the massive gap in the fossil record between the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic, and problems with the classification of (historically) old amber material. Finally, we discuss aspects of the palaeoecology and biology of the fossils compared with the Recent fauna, such as phoresy.

The morphology and relationships of Equisetum fluviatoides sp.nov. from the Paleocene Ravenscrag Formation of Saskatchewan, Canada

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 2937-2943 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. E. McIver ◽  
J. F. Basinger
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Central Cavity ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
Vegetative Organs ◽  
Early Tertiary ◽  
History Of ◽  
Internodal Lengths

Vegetative and associated fertile remains of Equisetum have been recovered from early Tertiary sediments of the Ravenscrag Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada. The morphology of both reproductive and vegetative organs of this fossil species is remarkably similar to that of extant Equisetum fluviatile, the swamp horsetail. Aerial axes of the fossil are 3.0–19.0 mm in diameter, with internodal lengths of up to 30.0 mm. The stems are hollow and the central cavity is large. Branches, apparently simple, are borne in whorls at the nodes. Leaf collars at the nodes are up to 23.0 mm long, longer than broad, with leaves fused in the lower four-fifths of the collar. The leaf apices are long attenuate. Cones are up to 14.0 mm long, bearing peltate, six-sided sporangiophores in whorls of five. The fossil record suggests stasigenesis in the evolutionary history of some members of the genus Equisetum since the beginning of the Tertiary, and perhaps longer.

New cyriacotheriid pantodonts (Mammalia, Pantodonta) from the Paleocene of Alberta, Canada, and the relationships of Cyriacotheriidae

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig S. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
New Species ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
New Genus ◽  
The Family ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
Unusual Combination ◽  
Early Paleocene ◽  
History Of

Cyriacotheriidae are a family of unusual small-bodied pantodonts known from the Paleocene of the Western Interior of North America. Cyriacotheriids possess a suite of dental characters similar to that of pantodonts (e.g., molar dilambdodonty, lingual molar hypoconulids), as well as several divergent features (e.g., molarized premolars, strong molar conules) that have been interpreted as “dermopteran-like.” the unusual combination of pantodont and dermopteran-like characters, combined with a limited fossil record, has made attempts at understanding the broader relationships of Cyriacotheriidae difficult. This paper reports on a new genus and two new species of cyriacotheriids from the Paleocene of Alberta, Canada, with both species significantly older than those of the only previously described cyriacotheriid, Cyriacotherium. Collectively, the dentitions of these new taxa exhibit derived characters seen in Cyriacotherium (e.g., robust molar conules, strong molar dilambdodonty) in addition to a number of plesiomorphies seen in more basal pantodonts (e.g., conspicuous molar entoconids, deep premolar ectoflexus) and, importantly, posterior premolars that are weakly molariform and non-dilambdodont. A phylogenetic analysis of the new cyriacotheriid, basal pantodonts, dermopterans, and dermopteran-like eutherians resulted in Cyriacotheriidae nesting within a monophyletic Pantodonta. the results strengthen previous hypotheses regarding the pantodont affinities of the family, and suggest that the dermopteran-like features seen in the more derived Cyriacotherium were acquired convergently. Although the discovery of new cyriacotheriids sheds light on the evolutionary history of the family, it cannot resolve the ongoing questions of pantodont origins; nonetheless, their discovery in strata of early Paleocene age indicates that significant parts of the evolutionary history of Cyriacotheriidae, and North American pantodonts more generally, have yet to be discovered.

scholarly journals A new nodosaurid ankylosaur (Dinosauria: Thyreophora) from the Upper Cretaceous Menefee Formation of New Mexico

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T. McDonald ◽  
Douglas G. Wolfe
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Unique Combination ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
San Juan Basin ◽  
History Of ◽  
Lower Campanian

Nodosauridae is a clade of armored dinosaurs with a rich fossil record and long history of study in North America. Nodosaurid fossils have been collected throughout the western United States and Canada. Here, we report three new nodosaurid specimens from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Campanian) Allison Member of the Menefee Formation, San Juan Basin, northwestern New Mexico. The three specimens belong to a new genus and species,Invictarx zephyri, characterized by a unique combination of features pertaining to the morphology of the osteoderms. Among the three specimens there are representative cervical/pectoral and thoracic osteoderms, as well as components of a probable co-ossified pelvic shield. The new tax on is most similar toGlyptodontopelta mimusfrom the Maastrichtian of New Mexico.

scholarly journals A putative fossil sejid mite (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata) in Baltic amber re-identified as an anystine (Acariformes: Prostigmata)

Acarologia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 665-672
Author(s):  
Jason A. Dunlop ◽  
David E. Walter ◽  
Jenő Kontschán
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
History Of ◽  
Rich History

The Acari (mites) is currently interpreted to consist of two superorders. In contrast to the relatively rich history of the mite superorder Acariformes, fossils of the Parasitiformes are extremely rare. This is especially true of the most diverse order, Mesostigmata, with only nine families recorded, including four named species, having been described so far. As part of a wider effort to clarify the diversity of Baltic amber Mesostigmata the historically oldest fossil, Sejus bdelloides Koch and Berendt, 1854, is re-examined. While clearly a mite, it is not a mesostigmatan, but a member of the Prostigmata (Acariformes), referable to the Anystina. Thus of the three main mesostigmatan lineages currently recognised both Sejida and Trigynaspida lack a fossil record. Monogynaspida can be traced with confidence back to the Eocene (ca. 44 - 49 Ma).

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