Most described Mesozoic ants belong to stem groups that existed only during the Cretaceous period.Previously,the earliest known crown ants were dated to the Turonian(Late Cretaceous,ca.94-90 million years ago(Ma))depo...Most described Mesozoic ants belong to stem groups that existed only during the Cretaceous period.Previously,the earliest known crown ants were dated to the Turonian(Late Cretaceous,ca.94-90 million years ago(Ma))deposits found in the USA,Kazakhstan,and Botswana.However,the recent discovery of an alate male ant in Kachin amber from the earliest Cenomanian(ca.99 Ma),representing a new genus and species,Antiquiformica alata,revises the narrative on ant diversification.Antiquiformica can be distinctly differentiated from all known male stem ants by its geniculate antennae with elongated scape,extending far beyond the occipital margin of the head and half the length of the funiculus,as well as its partly reduced forewing venation.Furthermore,the combination of a one-segmented waist with a well-developed node,elongated scape extending beyond the occipital margin,and reduced forewing venation,particularly the completely reduced m-cu and rs-m crossveins and absence of rm and mcu closed cells,firmly places the fossil within the extant subfamily Formicinae.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)confirmed that the amber containing Antiquiformica alata originated from the Kachin mines in Myanmar.This discovery significantly revises our understanding of the early evolution of Formicinae.The presence of Antiquiformica in Cenomanian amber indicates that the subfamily Formicinae emerged at least by the start of the Late Cretaceous,with crown ants likely originating earlier during the earliest Cretaceous or possibly the Late Jurassic,although paleontological evidence is lacking to support the latter hypothesis.展开更多
Twig mimicry among insects,whereby they imitate branches and twigs of plants to escape predation or enhance prey capture,is most common and diversified in Phasmatodea(stick and leaf insects),a group of iconic models f...Twig mimicry among insects,whereby they imitate branches and twigs of plants to escape predation or enhance prey capture,is most common and diversified in Phasmatodea(stick and leaf insects),a group of iconic models for understanding the evolution of camouflage and mimicry.Extant stick and leaf insects exhibit a wide array of exaggerated morphologies mimicking twigs,bark,fresh or dried leaves,ferns,and even moss[1].However,the Mesozoic lineages Susumaniidae and Pterophasmatidae,considered as stem groups to Phasmatodea s.str.,lack obvious characters relating to the familiar twig mimicry of the latter clade.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32270467,32020103006)National Research Foundation of Ukraine(2020/02/0369 to A.G.R.)CONCYTEC through the PROCIENCIA“Interinstitutional Alliances for Doctorate Programs”(PE501084299-2023-PROCIENCIA-BM to M.S.E.)。
文摘Most described Mesozoic ants belong to stem groups that existed only during the Cretaceous period.Previously,the earliest known crown ants were dated to the Turonian(Late Cretaceous,ca.94-90 million years ago(Ma))deposits found in the USA,Kazakhstan,and Botswana.However,the recent discovery of an alate male ant in Kachin amber from the earliest Cenomanian(ca.99 Ma),representing a new genus and species,Antiquiformica alata,revises the narrative on ant diversification.Antiquiformica can be distinctly differentiated from all known male stem ants by its geniculate antennae with elongated scape,extending far beyond the occipital margin of the head and half the length of the funiculus,as well as its partly reduced forewing venation.Furthermore,the combination of a one-segmented waist with a well-developed node,elongated scape extending beyond the occipital margin,and reduced forewing venation,particularly the completely reduced m-cu and rs-m crossveins and absence of rm and mcu closed cells,firmly places the fossil within the extant subfamily Formicinae.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)confirmed that the amber containing Antiquiformica alata originated from the Kachin mines in Myanmar.This discovery significantly revises our understanding of the early evolution of Formicinae.The presence of Antiquiformica in Cenomanian amber indicates that the subfamily Formicinae emerged at least by the start of the Late Cretaceous,with crown ants likely originating earlier during the earliest Cretaceous or possibly the Late Jurassic,although paleontological evidence is lacking to support the latter hypothesis.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41688103,32020103006,and 31730087)registered under Zoo Bank LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:221D9C8B-4091-4200-8784-5DD633CF1028。
文摘Twig mimicry among insects,whereby they imitate branches and twigs of plants to escape predation or enhance prey capture,is most common and diversified in Phasmatodea(stick and leaf insects),a group of iconic models for understanding the evolution of camouflage and mimicry.Extant stick and leaf insects exhibit a wide array of exaggerated morphologies mimicking twigs,bark,fresh or dried leaves,ferns,and even moss[1].However,the Mesozoic lineages Susumaniidae and Pterophasmatidae,considered as stem groups to Phasmatodea s.str.,lack obvious characters relating to the familiar twig mimicry of the latter clade.
