A golden age for ectoparasitoids of Embiodea: Cretaceous Sclerogibbidae (Hymenoptera,Chrysidoidea) from Kachin (Myanmar), Charentes (France) and Choshi (Japan) ambers

Sclerogibbid wasps are obligate parasitoids of webspinners (Embiodea). Both groups have a particularly scarce geological record and are known since the Cretaceous: there are only four species of webspinners known from Burmese amber, and only two sclerogibbids were described from Barremian Lebanese and Cenomanian Burmese ambers. Here we report transferred genus from Aptian Choshi (Japan) amber and new sclerogibbids from Cenomanian Burmese and Charentese (France) ambers. The taxa described from Burmese amber are: Burmasclerogibba aptera gen. et sp. nov., Cretosclerogibba gen. nov. (with C. antennalis sp. nov., C. contractocollis sp. nov., C. neli sp. nov. and C. rasnitsyni sp. nov.) and Edrossia vetusta gen. et sp. nov. The first European fossil sclerogibbid Gallosclerogibba alnensis gen. et sp. nov. is described from Charentese amber. The holotype of Chosia yamadai Fujiyama, from Choshi amber, is re-described; it appears to be the oldest Laurasian sclerogibbid. The significant abundance and variety of Burmese sclerogibbid wasps (60% of fossil species known worldwide), as proxy of their hosts, were probably caused by the protection granted to them by the silk webs and possibly by the limited predation from ornithuromorph birds or crown-group ants. While all three extant sclerogibbid genera have apterous females, genera with winged females (Cretosclerogibba and Edrossia) dominated in Burmese amber. Small silk galleries from hosts may have favored the preservation of wings in females of Cretaceous sclerogibbids. Most new species described in the present paper, in addition to C. yamadai, are characterized by a very slender neck and a very long frontal process concealing the antennal toruli. These characters disappeared in extant species. We suggest that this loss was caused by a change in the fauna of predators, penalizing species with long neck and rostrum.     

New mantises (Insecta: Mantodea) in Cretaceous ambers from Lebanon,Spain, and Myanmar

Diverse new material of mantises found in the Cretaceous amber-bearing deposits from Lebanon (Barremian), Spain (Albian), and Myanmar (Albian–Cenomanian) are described and figured. The Lebanese and Spanish forms are nymphs; while the one from Myanmar is an adult specimen. The Lebanese nymph corresponds to a new specimen of Burmantis lebanensis Grimaldi, 2003 while the adult Burmese (Myanmar) specimen belongs to the new species Burmantis zherikhini. The Spanish specimen represents a new genus and species and is established as Aragonimantis aenigma, but is considered family incertae sedis. The Spanish specimen is the first record of Mesozoic mantises from western-European amber deposits. A revised phylogenetic hypothesis for Cretaceous mantises is proposed.     

Biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from the Early Cretaceous El Soplao amber (N Spain)

Three new species, Lebanoculicoides excantabris, Archiaustroconops borkenti, and Atriculicoides szadziewskii are described from the Early Cretaceous (early Albian) El Soplao amber deposit (Rábago, Cantabria, northern Spain). Protoculicoides skalskii Szadziewski and Arillo, found in the other Albian Spanish ambers from Peñacerrada I (in Burgos) and San Just (in Teruel), and Austroconops sp., are identified from this new outcrop. The find of a new species of Lebanoculicoides Szadziewski is especially significant since this genus is considered the basalmost known among ceratopogonids. To date, the new species of Atriculicoides Remm is the oldest occurrence for this genus. A general review of the taxonomy and phylogeny of the family Ceratopogonidae, and the palaeoecological significance and palaeogeographic distribution of its basalmost lineages are given. The new data extend knowledge about biting midges during the Early Cretaceous, a key period for understanding the phylogenetic relationships of the ancient members of the family.     

欧洲白垩纪非海相软体动物及其地层分布

本文综述了欧洲白垩纪非海相软体动物群,列出了主要产自英格兰南部、法国和西班牙早白垩世的16个不同沉积层的59个分类单元。淡水动物群以珠蚌类双壳类和田螺类腹足类为主,但在有些地点也存有肺螺类腹足类。这些化石类群与现代类型很相似,说明白垩纪淡水中的水草、氧气与营养环境良好。在欧特里沃期和巴列姆期,淡水与边缘海环境中的动物群组成都发生了显著的变化。欧洲的淡水生物群落早在巴列姆期就已存在,此时的有些类群,如著名的Mar garitifera(s.l.)valdensis在欧洲西部有着广泛的分布。英格兰南部的早白垩世韦尔登群被认为是欧洲最连续的非海相白垩纪地层,其上部的生物群可与西班牙的LasHoyas动物群和法国的Wassy动物群相对比。这3个动物群,以及法国侏罗(汝拉)和英格兰南部波倍克的侏罗纪-白垩纪的过渡生物群——Purbeck动物群,是了解欧洲白垩纪淡水动物群的关键动物群。     

The molecular composition of ambers

Bulk (elemental composition, IR, CP/MAS ¹³C NMR) and molecular (GC-MS) analyses have been performed on a series of ambers and resins derived from different locations (Dominican Republic, Philippines, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Chile) having diverse botanical affinities (Araucariaceae, Hymenaea) and variable age (from Holocene to Early Cretaceous). No major differences have been observed from the elemental composition and the spectroscopic data; however, the molecular analyses of the solvent extractable fraction show that a specific mixture of components is present in each sample. These are mainly diterpenoid products that in general are also found abundantly in the higher plants from which the ambers and resins originate. Nevertheless, a direct relationship between major terpenoid constituents in fossil resins and precursor plant materials can only be established for the younger samples.Irrespective of the geographical or botanical origin of the ambers and resins, several common age-dependent molecular transformation trends can be recognized: (1) progressive loss of olefinic bonds (especially those located in exocyclic positions), (2) decrease of functionalized products, and (3) increasing proportion of aromatized components. However, even in the samples of older age (Cretaceous) the degree of aromatization is very low when compared with that of other higher-plant related materials such as fossilized woods or low rank coals. This indicates that maturation must involve essentially olefin polymerization processes instead of extensive aromatization.     

Biting midges of the extinct genus Protoculicoides Boesel from Lower Cretaceous amber of San Just,Spain and new synonymy in recently described fossil genera (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

We describe two new species of extinct biting midges in the fossil genus Protoculicoides: Protoculicoides hispanicus Szadziewski and Arillo, sp. nov. and Protoculicodes sanjusti Szadziewski and Arillo, sp. nov., from Albian (101–113 Ma) amber of San Just, Spain. Atriculicoides Remm, 1976 is recognized as a new junior synonym of Protoculicoides Boesel, 1937 (NEW SYNONYM). Devalquia Choufani et al., 2013 is regarded here as a new junior synonym of the extant genus Culicoides Latreille, 1809 (NEW SYNONYM). Metahelea roggeroi Choufani et al., 2013 from Upper Cretaceous French amber, is excluded from the tribe Heteromyiini and placed in the extant genus Stilobezzia Kieffer, 1911, tribe Ceratopogonini: Stilobezzia roggeroi (Choufani et al., 2013), comb. nov. The extinct tribe Atriculicoidini Szadziewski, 1996 is regarded as a new subfamily, Atriculicoidinae, stat. nov., that includes the fossil genus Protoculicoides, with 13 species reported from Albian, Turonian, Cenomanian, Coniacian, Santonian and Campanian ambers (78–113 Ma). Protoculicoides skalskii Szadziewski & Arillo, 1998 from Lower Cretaceous amber of Álava, Spain, Protoculicoides succineus Szadziewski, 1966 from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber and Protoculicoides burmiticus Szadziewski & Poinar, 2005 from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber are transferred to the extinct genus Archiculicoides Szadziewski, 1996, comb. nov. Protoculicoides krzeminskii Choufani et al., 2014 from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber is transferred to the extinct genus Archiaustroconops Szadziewski, 1996, comb. nov. The Cretaceous subfamily Atriculicoidinae forms an unresolved trichotomy with the extant subfamilies Forcipomyiinae and Dasyheleinae, both of which date to the Eocene. The fossil record indicates that wings with macrotrichia in biting midges evolved during the mid-Cretaceous greenhouse climate. We suggest that this was an evolutionary adaptation to new atmospheric conditions with higher levels of CO₂ in order for the antennal Johnston's organs of males to receive the vibrational sex signals produced by females during flight.     

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.05.001

The Ypresian Cambay Shale Formation at Vastan and Mangrol lignite mines in Gujarat, western India, has yielded a rich vertebrate fauna with numerous taxa of European affinities. Here we report a new,approximately contemporary vertebrate assemblage from two fossiliferous layers in the nearby mine of Tadkeshwar. These layers have yielded a similar mammal fauna with the co-occurrence of the perissodactyl-like cambaytheriid Cambaytherium thewissi, the adapoid primates Marcgodinotius indicus and cf. Asiadapis cambayensis, and the hyaenodontid Indohyaenodon raoi. The presence of these species in both Vastan and Tadkeshwar mines and at different levels suggests that the deposits between the two major lignite seams represent a single land mammal age. Apart from the aforementioned species there is a new, smaller species of Cambaytherium, and a new genus and species of esthonychid tillodont. This fauna also contains the first large early Eocene vertebrates from India, including an unidentified Coryphodon-like pantodont, a dyrosaurid crocodyliform and a new giant madtsoiid snake. Among the Tadkeshwar vertebrates several taxa are of Gondwana affinities, such as Pelomedusoides turtles, dyrosaurids, and large madtsoiids, attesting that the early Eocene was a crucial period in India during which Laurasian taxa of European affinities co-existed with relict taxa from Gondwana before the India-Asia collision. Our results suggest that terrestrial faunas could have dispersed to or from Europe during episodes of contact between the Indian subcontinent and different island blocks along the northern margin of the Neotethys, such as the Kohistane Ladakh island-arc system. Gondwana taxa might represent remnants of ghost lineages shared with Madagascar, which reached the Indian subcontinent during the late Cretaceous; alternatively they might have come from North Africa and passed along the southern margin of the Neotethys to reach the Indian subcontinent. These dispersals would have been possible as a result of favourable paleogeographic conditions such as the particular Neotethys conformation during the beginning of the early Eocene.     

First Psocodean (Psocodea,Empheriidae) from the Cretaceous Amber of New Jersey

<正>Representatives of the extinct psocid family Empheriidae are known from Eocene Baltic amber, Lowermost Eocene French amber(Oise),and Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber(Alava).We report herein the first discovery of an empheriid psocid from the Cretaceous amber of New Jersey as Jerseyempheria grimaldii gen.et sp. nov.The fossil is figured and described.The new species is distinguished from related taxa.A discussion and checklist of Empheriidae are provided.     

New species of fossil oribatid mites (Acariformes,Oribatida), from the Lower Cretaceous amber of Spain

Mites are relatively common and diverse in fossiliferous ambers, but remain essentially unstudied. Here, we report on five new oribatid fossil species from Lower Cretaceous Spanish amber, including representatives of three superfamilies, and five families of the Oribatida. Hypovertex hispanicus sp. nov. and Tenuelamellarea estefaniae sp. nov. are described from amber pieces discovered in the San Just outcrop (Teruel Province). This is the first time fossil oribatid mites have been discovered in the El Soplao outcrop (Cantabria Province) and, here, we describe the following new species: Afronothrus ornosae sp. nov., Nothrus vazquezae sp. nov., and Platyliodes sellnicki sp. nov. The taxa are discussed in relation to other fossil lineages of Oribatida as well as in relation to their modern counterparts. Some of the inclusions were imaged using confocal laser scanning microscopy, demonstrating the potential of this technique for studying fossil mites in amber. A table, including all the known Mesozoic oribatid mites preserved in amber, is included.     

Tetrapods from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian–Maastrichtian) Bauru Group of Brazil: a reappraisal

An updated, annotated list of all tetrapods from the Adamantina, Uberaba and Marília formations (Bauru Group), which constitute some of the best studied Upper Cretaceous units in Brazil, is presented. Tetrapod diversity in the Bauru Group is remarkable, including an admixture of typically austral Gondwanan taxa (e.g., abelisaurids, notosuchians) and boreal Gondwanan forms (e.g., carcharodontosaurids). Of note is the absence of Laurasian taxa in the upper portion of the Bauru Group. With the exception of some turtles, an anuran, mesoeucrocodylians and one titanosaur, most taxa from the Bauru Group are based on fragmentary and isolated bones, and as such many specimens can be identified only to a higher taxonomic level. Fishes, turtles, anurans, mesoeucrocodylians, dinosaurs, birds and mammals from the Adamantina and Marília formations resemble the latest Late Cretaceous vertebrate faunas from southern South America, except for the absence of ornithischian dinosaurs.     

追溯最古老的琥珀——树脂植物的起源与演化

琥珀是一类有机宝石,其经济价值和科学意义日益受到重视.琥珀是植物树脂的化石形式.本文综述了现代的和已绝灭的产树脂植物的种类与地史分布.现代的产树脂植物包括松柏类和诸多被子植物科,现代松柏类如南洋杉科的琥珀最早可追溯至晚三叠世—早侏罗世,但在白垩纪中期至中新世的地层中更为丰富.始新世以来,热带和亚热带被子植物来源的琥珀开始占优势地位.绝灭的产树脂植物包括繁盛于石炭—二叠纪的科达类和髓木类种子蕨以及石炭纪以来出现并已绝灭的一些松柏类裸子植物.目前已知最早的琥珀产自晚石炭世地层(距今约3.2亿年).琥珀中含丰富的动植物化石,为研究地球生命的演化历史提供了重要材料.     

Turtles from the Lower Cretaceous of the Cameros Basin (Iberian Range, Spain)

Knowledge of the turtle fauna from the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula has been very limited until now. There are several fossil sites where Lower Cretaceous associations of continental vertebrates have been found. Although turtles have been identified in some of them, most of these specimens have not been studied, so the diversity is unknown. Among all these findings, the turtles from the Cameros Basin are considered particularly relevant, both in their abundance and diversity. Their study has allowed the identification of several taxa. At least one representative of Solemydidae and three taxa of Eucryptodira are recognized. This study establishes kinship and biogeographic relationships between the taxa in Cameros with those found in other Spanish fossil sites and with those of other European regions.     

A new genus of silken-fungus beetle (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae) from the Spanish Cretaceous amber

The Cretaceous new species and genus Albocryptophagus cantabricus gen. et sp. n. is described based on a fossil specimen from the El Soplao amber deposit (Spain). The new genus is similar to the extant genera Cryptophagus and Micrambe, but differs from them in the transverse pedicel, anterior angles of pronotum, pronotal margin unmodified, pronotal pits absent. Albocryptophagus gen. n. is undoubtedly the most ancient representative for the subfamily Cryptophaginae described up today. Because the saproxylic habits in recent species of the family, a similar behavior is inferred for this new fossil. It is a new example that agrees with the idea that fossil beetles from Mesozoic ambers are characterized by a saproxylic lifestyle.     

The nature and fate of natural resins in the geosphere XIII: a probable pinaceous resin from the early Cretaceous (Barremian), Isle of Wight

Terpenoid resin is produced by all families and most genera of the order Coniferales (the conifers), and the distribution of terpenes present in most conifer resins is characteristic of the originating family. Analyses of early Cretaceous (Barremian) amber (fossil resin) from the English Wealden, Isle of Wight, southern England, by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), indicate a terpene distribution dominated by abietane- and labdane-type terpenes. Similar distributions are observed in some species of the extant family Pinaceae. The Pinaceae are well represented within the Wealden deposits of southern England, by only one (known) species, Pityites solmsii (Seward) Seward, whereas the macro-fossil record of these deposits is dominated by the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae, for which no resin chemistry has been reported. By analogy with modern materials, it is probable that the ambers found in these deposits are derived from an extinct member of the Pinaceae, but given the absence of evidence concerning the chemotaxonomy of the Cheirolepidiaceae, this family cannot be excluded a priori as a possible paleobotanical source. These ambers may therefore be assigned to either the Pinaceae or to the Cheirolepidiaceae. These samples are the oldest ambers to date to yield useful chemotaxonomic data.     

Early Cretaceous Aleyrodidae (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha) from the Lebanese amber

Four new, monotypic genera of Aleyrodidae from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber are described: Shapashe aithiopa gen. sp. nov.; Milqartis azari gen. sp. nov.; Aretsaya therina gen. sp. nov.; and Yamis libanotos gen. sp. nov. All new taxa represent subfamily Aleurodicinae. The key for identification of genera of Aleurodicinae from the Lebanese amber is provided. The morphological features of newly established taxa are discussed. The importance of the fossils for phylogenetic, evolutionary and ecological studies is presented.     

First records of the subfamilies Bethylinae (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) and Cleptinae (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) in Upper Cretaceous amber from France

Two new genera and species of fossil chrysidoid wasps belonging to the families Chrysididae and Bethylidae are described from Charentese (Fouras Bois-Vert and Archingeay) lower Upper Cretaceous amber of France. New taxa include: Sphaerocleptes neraudeaui n. gen. et sp., and Nucifrangibulum carentonensis n. gen. et sp. A new bethylid wasp is also described but left in open nomenclature. These findings are the first records of the subfamilies Cleptinae and Bethylinae in these deposits and time interval. The implications of these discoveries, and the features shared with previously known taxa are discussed.     

First fossil insect from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber in Syria (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Lebanoculicoides bloudani a new species of Ceratopogonidae from the Lower Cretaceous ambers of Syria and Lebanon is studied. The new species is characterized, described, illustrated, and compared with the other fossil taxa of the same extinct genus. A key to the species of the genus Lebanoculioides is proposed.     

Reworked marine pythonomorph (Reptilia,Squamata) remains in Late Pleistocene cave deposits in central Spain

Three sites at the Calvero de la Higuera complex (Camino Cave, Navalmaíllo Rock Shelter, and Buena Pinta Cave), near the village of Pinilla del Valle (Madrid, Spain), are known for their record of Neanderthals and other Late Pleistocene mammals. Occasionally, they also yield much more ancient reworked remains, which come from the Upper Cretaceous dolomites and carbonatic sandstones in which these caves and shelters are developed. These are mostly teeth of sharks and rays and vertebrae and teeth of bony fishes, but several reptile vertebrae and teeth have also been found. These reptile remains, which we describe here, likely belong to the pythonomorph incertae sedis Carentonosaurus cf. mineaui. This taxon is known from several outcrops in the southwest of France but is rare on the Iberian Peninsula; indeed, only a few remains possibly related to the genus have been found (in the Cabaña Formation, Asturias, Spain). The pythonomorph remains discussed here are the first fossils of marine reptiles from the Madrid region. Should the assignment to Carentonosaurus be confirmed, the teeth would provide novel data on the characteristics of this rather poorly known taxon, and might help clarify its phylogenetic relationship within Pythonomorpha.     

Evolution of the carnivorous dinosaurs during the Cretaceous: The evidence from Patagonia

Patagonia has yielded the most comprehensive fossil record of Cretaceous theropods from Gondwana, consisting of 31 nominal species belonging to singleton taxa and six families: Abelisauridae, Noasauridae, Carcharodontosauridae, Megaraptoridae nov. fam., Alvarezsauridae, and Unenlagiidae. They provide anatomical information that allows improved interpretation of theropods discovered in other regions of Gondwana. Abelisauroids are the best represented theropods in Patagonia. They underwent an evolutionary radiation documented from the Early Cretaceous through to the latest Cretaceous, and are represented by the clades Abelisauridae and Noasauridae. Patagonian carcharodontosaurids are known from three taxa (Tyrannotitan, Giganotosaurus and Mapusaurus), as well as from isolated teeth, collected from Aptian to Cenomanian beds. These allosauroids constituted the top predators during the mid-Cretaceous, during which gigantic titanosaur sauropods were the largest herbivores. Megaraptorans have become better documented in recent years with the discovery of more complete remains. Megaraptor, Aerosteon and Orkoraptor have been described from Cretaceous beds from Argentina, and these taxa exhibit close relationships with the Aptian genera Australovenator, from Australia, and Fukuiraptor, from Japan. The Gondwanan megaraptorans are gathered into the new family Megaraptoridae, and the Asiatic Fukuiraptor is recovered as the immediate sister taxon of this clade. Although megaraptorans have been recently interpreted as members of Allosauroidea, we present evidence that they are deeply nested within Coelurosauria. Moreover, anatomical information supports Megaraptora as more closely related to the Asiamerican Tyrannosauridae than thought. Megaraptorans improve our knowledge about the scarcely documented basal radiation of Gondwanan coelurosaurs and tyrannosauroids as a whole. Information at hand indicates that South America was a cradle for the evolutionary radiation for different coelurosaurian lineages, including some basal forms (e.g., Bicentenaria, Aniksosaurus), megaraptorans, alvarezsaurids less derived than those of Laurasia, and unenlagiids, revealing that Gondwanan coelurosaurs played sharply differing ecological roles, and that they were taxonomically as diverse as in the northern continents. The unenlagiids represent an endemic South American clade that has been recently found to be more closely related to birds than to dromaeosaurid theropods. Analysis of the theropod fossil record from Gondwana shows the highest peak of origination index occurred during the Aptian–Albian and a less intense one in the Campanian time spans. Additionally, peaks of extinction index are recognized for the Cenomanian and Turonian–Coniacian time spans. In comparison, the Laurasian pattern differs from that of Gondwana in the presence of an older extinction event during the Aptian–Albian time-span and a high origination rate during the Cenomanian time-bin. Both Laurasian and Gondwanan theropod records show a peak of origination rates during the Campanian.     

Diverse stigmaphronid wasps in Early Cretaceous amber from Spain (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Stigmaphronidae)

A diverse fauna of wasps of the extinct parasitoid family Stigmaphronidae (Ceraphronoidea) are recorded in Early Cretaceous (Lower Albian) amber from Spain. Seven new species in five genera are described and figured based on 51 specimens, representing more material than in all the world’s other amber deposits combined. New species include: Elasmophron mari sp. nov., Libanophron sugaar sp. nov., Hippocoon basajauni sp. nov., Burmaphron jentilak sp. nov., B. sorginak sp. nov., B. iratxoak sp. nov., and Tagsmiphron olentzero sp. nov. The significance of the fauna is discussed and compared with that of other Cretaceous amber deposits, in particular the tremendous richness of the Spanish fauna is contrasted with the complete absence of stigmaphronids in the slightly younger and nearby French amber. Whether this stark difference represents particularly favorable conditions for these parasitoids, or their hosts, in the Cretaceous Spanish archipelago, or whether it is owing to taphonomic factors is discussed.