| Crotoniidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Oribatida |
| Superfamily: | Crotonioidea |
| Family: | Crotoniidae Thorell, 1876 |
| Species | |
See text | |
| Diversity | |
| 2 genera, c. 40 species | |
| Synonyms | |
Crotonidae | |
Crotoniidae are a family of mites of the Holosomata group that may be the first animal lineage to have abandoned sexual reproduction and then re-evolved it. This is a spectacular case of atavism, and later convergent evolution. [1]