Search Results (7)

Palynology is an invaluable tool for reconstructing past biodiversity in agrarian and cultural landscapes and for understanding present-day environmental assets. By analysing past evidence, rooted in botanical knowledge, we can foresee future environmental trends. Italy, at the centre of the Mediterranean, is one of the richest countries in terms of pollen analyses from archaeological sites and therefore is particularly suited to reconstructing human–environment relationships and anthropogenic impacts on flora over time. We selected data filled in the database BRAIN. This paper presents new elaboration on pollen data from 14 published and unpublished archaeological sites, showing past plant diversity and land management in prehistorical and historical contexts of southern Italy. Overall, the research demonstrates that the floristic palaeodiversity, as revealed through the group-equalised indicator species analysis, supports and validates the palynological data on the flora of Campania, Basilicata, and Sicily. The study highlights the presence of ubiquitous pollen taxa in anthropogenic environments and explores the connection between past and present plant diversity. Full article

The fossil records of Kateretidae from the Mesozoic are significant for understanding the origin and early evolution of the family. The recent discoveries of Cretaceous kateretids have provided valuable information about the palaeodiversity and morphological disparity of the taxa. Here, we establish a new genus and species of kateretid beetles, Scaporetes rectus gen. et sp. nov., based on a specimen preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. The new species is characterized by its strongly enlarged scape and extremely small labrum. Our discovery highlights the morphological disparity of Kateretidae in the late Mesozoic. Full article

Nitidulidae is the most diverse family of the recently recognized superfamily Nitiduliodea, but Mesozoic nitidulids that are critical for understanding their early diversification are sparse. Here, we report a new genus and species of Nitidulidae, Protonitidula neli gen. et sp. nov., that was recovered from mid-Cretaceous amber in northern Myanmar. The new genus is distinguished from all members of the extant nitidulid subfamilies most prominently by the loose antennal club and the absence of subantennal grooves. Protonitidula neli can be excluded from the closely related Kateretidae and classified into Nitidulidae by the broad and apically expanded prosternal process, although it has many pleisiomorphic characters. Full article

The species and morphological diversity of dustywings (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae) from the Cretaceous, of which the knowledge is rapidly increasing by recent studies on the species from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, provide valuable evidence for understanding the phylogeny and early evolution of this highly specialized lacewing lineage. Here we describe a new genus and two new species of this genus in Coniopterygidae from the mid-Cretaceous (lowermost Cenomanian) of northern Myanmar, namely Paradoxoconis szirakii gen. et sp. nov. and Paradoxoconis longipalpa gen. et sp. nov. The new genus possesses a peculiar combination of wing characters, e.g., the terminal fusion or connection between ScP and RA, the terminal connection of RA to RP, the presence of forewing A3, and the presence of a distal gradate series of crossveins. Despite uncertain subfamilial placement, this new genus morphologically resembles the extant genus Coniocompsa Enderlein, 1905 of the subfamily Aleuropteryginae and the extant genus Flintoconis Sziráki, 2007 of the subfamily Brucheiserinae. Our finding highlights the palaeodiversity of dustywings from the Cretaceous. Full article

The Elateridae (click-beetles) are the largest family in Elateroidea; however, their relationships, systematics and classification remain unclear. Our understanding of the origin, evolution, palaeodiversity and palaeobiogeography of Elateridae, as well as reconstruction of a reliable time-calibrated phylogeny for the group, are hampered by the lack of detailed knowledge of their fossil record. In this study, we summarize the current knowledge on all described fossil species in Elateridae, including their type material, geographic origin, age, bibliography and remarks on their systematic placement. Altogether, 261 fossil species classified in 99 genera and nine subfamilies are currently listed in this family. The Mesozoic click-beetle diversity includes 143 species, with most of them described from the Jurassic Karatau, and 118 described species are known from the Cenozoic deposits, mainly from the Eocene North American Florissant Formation and European Baltic amber. Available data on the described past diversity of Elateridae suggest that almost all fossil lineages in this group are in urgent need of revision and numerous Mesozoic species might belong to different families. Our study is intended to serve as a comprehensive basis for all subsequent research focused on the click-beetle fossil record. Full article

Captopus depressicepsgen. et sp. nov., Electrothroscus yanpingaegen. et sp. nov. and Pseudopactopus robustusgen. et sp. nov. are reported from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. These new findings greatly extend the Mesozoic diversity of Throscidae, which implies a high degree of morphological disparity for this family in the Cretaceous. Full article

Insect fossils bear important information about the evolutionary history of the group. The fossil record of Elateridae, a large cosmopolitan beetle family, has been greatly understudied and the available data are often replete with ambiguity and uncertainty. The research of Elateridae evolution cannot be done without solid genus-group name concepts. In this study we provide an updated comprehensive summary of the fossil genera in Elateridae, including their systematic placement and information on the type species, gender, number of species, age range, and relevant bibliography. We list seven valid fossil genera in Agrypninae, one in Cardiophorinae, two in Dendrometrinae, five in Elaterinae, two in Negastriinae, one in Omalisinae, one in Pityobiinae, and 36 in Protagrypninae. Additional 19 genera are tentatively classified as Elateridae incertae sedis, and their placements are discussed. Further, we move genera Babuskaya Martins-Neto & Gallego, 2009, Cardiosyne Martins-Neto & Gallego, 2006, Fengningia Hong, 1984 and Gemelina Martins-Neto & Gallego, 2006 from Elateridae to Coleoptera incertae sedis. We also discuss the genera previously placed in Elateridae, which are currently not included in the family. The data on the fossil generic diversity suggest that Elateridae originated in the Triassic and rapidly diversified and became comparatively abundant through the Jurassic. We call for further research on the fossil Elateridae from various deposits in order to increase our knowledge on the origin, evolution, and palaeodiversity of the group. Full article