Fossil Insects: Diversity and Evolutionary History
A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Systematics, Phylogeny and Evolution".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1668
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fossil insects; amber research; Mesozoic insects
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: palaeontology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Understanding insect evolution is vital for deciphering the early development of terrestrial ecosystems on Earth, given that insects are the most diverse and ecologically significant group of animals. Their evolutionary history sheds light on ecological interactions, adaptation mechanisms, and the resilience of life during major geological events. In recent decades, fossil insect research has experienced a remarkable resurgence, spurred by the discovery of exceptional entomofaunas and advances in phylogenomics that enable robust reconstruction of the insect Tree of Life. These findings provide unparalleled insights into the patterns and timescales of evolution within hexapods, the most diverse animal group.
This Special Issue aims to present systematic research that deepens our understanding of insect evolution through an integrative approach. By combining fossil evidence with cutting-edge phylogenomic techniques, the contributions will explore key evolutionary transitions, morphological innovations, and ecological adaptations that have shaped insect diversity. The issue will cover a wide range of topics, including the origins of major insect lineages, the impact of mass extinctions on insect biodiversity, and the co-evolutionary dynamics between insects and their environments. Through these studies, we hope to provide a comprehensive view of how insects have evolved over hundreds of millions of years, offering new perspectives on their role in shaping terrestrial ecosystems.
Potential topics include (but are not limited to):
- Insect taxa from deposits with exceptional preservation, analysed within broader phylogenetic contexts.
- Phylogenetic studies that integrate fossil insects alongside their extant relatives.
- Macroevolutionary studies examining the fossil record of hexapods.
- Paleontological methods that facilitate the study of exceptionally preserved specimens in fossil resins.
- Taphonomic research that investigates biases and controls affecting the exceptional preservation of terrestrial arthropods.
We encourage submissions that delve into these themes and contribute to our understanding of insect evolution. We look forward to your contributions to this exciting field of research!
Prof. Dr. Diying Huang
Prof. Dr. Chenyang Cai
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- amber
- palaeodiversity
- phylogeny
- Mesozoic
- Cenozoic
- palaeoentomology
- terrestrial ecosystems
- radiation
- insect-plant association
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