Aphaenogaster praerelicta

Last updated

Aphaenogaster praerelicta
Temporal range: Late Oligocene - early Miocene
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
↓
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Genus: Aphaenogaster
Species:
†A. praerelicta
Binomial name
†Aphaenogaster praerelicta
De Andrade, 1995

Aphaenogaster praerelicta is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a solitary Late Oligocene to Early Miocene [1] fossil found in Mexico. At the time of description A. praerelicta was one of three Aphaenogaster species known from Mexico. [2]

Contents

History and classification

Aphaenogaster praerelicta is known from a solitary fossil insect which is an inclusion in a transparent chunk of Mexican amber along with three flies, two springtails, a wasp, and some pollen grains. [2] Mexican amber is recovered from fossil bearing rocks in the Simojovel region of Chiapas, Mexico. The amber dates from between 22.5 million years old, representing the youngest sediments of the Balumtun Sandstone, and the 26 million year old La Quinta Formation. This age range straddles the boundary between the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene and is complicated by both formations being secondary deposits for the amber: the age range represents only the youngest that it might be. [1] The amber was produced by either of two extinct Hymenaea species, Hymenaea mexicana or Hymenaea allendis , both of which were initially described from fossil flowers included in Mexican amber. [3] The fossil is part of the amber collection of George Poinar Jr., which at the time of description, was housed at the University of California, Berkeley. [2]

The fossil ant was first studied by paleoentomologist Maria De Andrade of the University of Basel. De Andrade's 1995 type description of the new species was published in the German journal Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie). The specific epithet praerelicta is a combination of the Latin "prae" meaning before and "relicta", the species name for the modern Aphaenogaster relicta of Haiti, to which A. praerelicta is most similar. A. praerelicta is one of two species described by De Andrade in the 1995 paper: the other species Aphaenogaster amphioceanica was found in Dominican amber. Three l species of Aphaenogaster are currently known from Mexico, the fossil A. praerelicta, A. ensifera and A. mexicana . [2]

Description

The Aphaenogaster praerelicta specimen is a well-preserved worker caste adult with an estimated body length of approximately 6.28 millimetres (0.247 in). The overall coloration of A. praerelicta is a brown tone, with the legs and posterior borders of the tergites shading slightly lighter. The body has numerous long thick hairs which range from fully erect to lying down against the exoskeleton. The head widens towards the posterior edge and lacks the "neck" which is seen in A. amphioceanica. [2] While the hollows where the antennae were attached to the head capsule are small, the antennae of A. praerelicta are unknown, as they were lost before the specimen was entombed. The head capsule has numerous deep anatomizing ridges over which a strong reticulation is superimposed. The propodeum is notable in having two spines 0.6 millimetres (0.024 in) long that point upwards and backwards and another set of spines at the humeral angle closer to the head. The combination of no "neck", short humeral spines and long posterior spines on the propodeum are unique. The character combination is similar to that of several modern North American species and A. relicta of Hati. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cephalotes caribicus</i> Extinct species of ant

Cephalotes caribicus is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from two Middle Miocene fossils found in amber on Hispaniola. At the time of description C. caribicus was one of nine ant species placed in the Cephalotespinelii clade.

<i>Cephalotes dieteri</i> Extinct species of ant

Cephalotes dieteri is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from two Middle Miocene fossils found in amber on Hispaniola. At the time of description, C. dieteri was one of seven fossil ant species placed in the Cephalotescoffeae clade.

<i>Cephalotes hispaniolicus</i> Extinct species of ant

Cephalotes hispaniolicus is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single Middle Miocene fossil found in amber on Hispaniola. At the time of description C. hispaniolicus was one of six ant species placed in the Cephalotesmultispinosus clade.

Hymenaea mexicana is an extinct legume species in the family Fabaceae described from a series of isolated fossil petals, leaflets, and amber. The species is known from a group of Late Oligocene to Early Miocene locations in southern Mexico. It is one of two extinct Hymenaea species placed close to the living species Hymenaea verrucosa and along with Hymenaea allendis, is one of the two extinct species which have been found in Mexican amber.

Hymenaea allendis is an extinct legume species in the family Fabaceae described from a single isolated fossil flower in amber. The species is known from a Late Oligocene to Early Miocene location in southern Mexico. Unlike the coeval extinct species Hymenaea mexicana and Hymenaea protera which are placed closer to the living species Hymenaea verrucosa of Africa, H. allendis is closer in relation to the neotropical species of Hymenaea.

<i>Acanthognathus poinari</i> Extinct species of ant

Acanthognathus poinari is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. poinari is the first species of the ant genus Acanthognathus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of several species of Acanthognathus found in the Greater Antillas.

<i>Anochetus ambiguus</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus ambiguus is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from two possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. ambiguus is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antillies.

<i>Anochetus conisquamis</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus conisquamis is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from one possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. conisquamis is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antilles.

<i>Anochetus corayi</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus corayi is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from one possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. corayi is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antillies.

<i>Anochetus dubius</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus dubius is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from two possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. dubius is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antilles.

<i>Anochetus exstinctus</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus exstinctus is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from two possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. exstinctus is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antillies.

<i>Anochetus intermedius</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus intermedius is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from two possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. intermedius is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antilles.

<i>Anochetus lucidus</i> Extinct species of ant

Anochetus lucidus is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from two possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. A. lucidus is one of eight species in the ant genus Anochetus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Anochetus species found in the Greater Antillies.

Pseudarmadillo cristatus is an extinct species of isopod (woodlouse) in the family Delatorreiidae known from a series of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. At the time of description P. cristatus was one of two Pseudarmadillo species known from the fossil record and one of only two from Hispaniola.

<i>Aphaenogaster amphioceanica</i> Extinct species of ant

Aphaenogaster amphioceanica is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single possibly Miocene fossil found in amber on Hispaniola. At the time of description A. amphioceanica was one of two Aphaenogaster species known from the Caribbean islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican amber</span> Miocene amber from Mexico

Mexican amber, also known as Chiapas Amber is amber found in Mexico, created during the Early Miocene and middle Miocene epochs of the Cenozoic Era in southwestern North America. As with other ambers, a wide variety of taxa have been found as inclusions including insects and other arthropods, as well as plant fragments and epiphyllous fungi.

<i>Aphaenogaster dlusskyana</i> Extinct species of ant

Aphaenogaster dlusskyana is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single Middle Eocene fossil found in amber on Sakhalin. At the time of description A. dlusskyana was one of eight ant species known from Sakhalin fossil.

<i>Odontomachus spinifer</i> Extinct species of ant

Odontomachus spinifer is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from one possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. O. spinifer is one of two species in the ant genus Odontomachus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Odontomachus species found in the Greater Antilles.

<i>Odontomachus pseudobauri</i> Extinct species of ant

Odontomachus pseudobauri is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae known from one possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. O. pseudobauri is one of two species in the ant genus Odontomachus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of a number of Odontomachus species found in the Greater Antilles.

La Quinta Formation is a geologic formation in Mexico. It is the oldest formation where Mexican amber can be found. It is from Late Oligocene to early Miocene. It is located at Simojovel, Chiapas, Mexico. It underlies the Mazantic Shale.

References

  1. 1 2 Jennings, J.T.; Krogmann, L.; Mew, S. (2012). "Hyptia deansi sp. nov., the first record of Evaniidae (Hymenoptera) from Mexican amber" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3349: 63–68. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3349.1.7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 De Andrade, M. L. (1995). "The ant genus Aphaenogaster in Dominican and Mexican amber (Amber Collection Stuttgart: Hymenoptera, Formicidae. IX: Pheidolini)". Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde. Serie B (Geologie und Paläontologie). 223: 1–11.
  3. ↑ Calvillo-Canadell, L.; Cevallos-Ferriz, S.R.S.; Rico-Arce, L. (2010). "Miocene Hymenaea flowers preserved in amber from Simojovel de Allende, Chiapas, Mexico". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 160 (3–4): 126–134. Bibcode:2010RPaPa.160..126C. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.02.007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.