Maatidesmus | |
---|---|
M. paachtun holotype | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Diplopoda |
Order: | Polydesmida |
Family: | Chelodesmidae |
Genus: | † Maatidesmus |
Species: | †M. paachtun |
Binomial name | |
†Maatidesmus paachtun Riquelme & Hernández, 2014 | |
Maatidesmus is an extinct genus of millipede in the family Chelodesmidae known from a fossil found in North America. There is one described species in the genus, Maatidesmus paachtun, one of three millipedes described from Mexican amber. [1] [2]
Maatidesmus paachtun was described from a solitary fossil, which is preserved as an inclusion in a transparent chunk of Mexican amber. At the time of description, the amber specimen was housed in the fossil collection of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Simojovel. The holotype fossil is composed of a very complete adult female recovered from the La Guadalupe Quarry. [2] Mexican amber is recovered from fossil bearing rocks in the Simojovel region of Chiapas, Mexico. The amber dates from between 23 million years old at the oldest and 15 million years at the youngest. The La Guadalupe Quarry site is an outcrop of amber-bearing strata belonging to the Mazantic shale. The deposits preserve a transitional river or stream environments near the coast and preserves fossils of a mangrove forest ecosystem. [1] [2] [3]
The holotype was first studied by a team of researchers headed by Francisco Riquelme of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos with their 2014 type description of the genus and species being published in the natural sciences journal PLOS ONE . The genus name is a derived from a combination of the Mayan word maat for "amber" and "idesmus", which is used frequently as a genus suffix in the family Chelodesmidae. The specific epithet paachtun was coined from a combination of the Mayan words paach meaning "back" and tun meaning "stone", a reference to the distinct sculpturing and lobing on the collum and lobe-bearing tergites. [2]
M. paachtun is one of three millipede species described from Mexican amber, the others being Anbarrhacus adamantis and Parastemmiulus elektron , while a number of other species have been described from the similarly aged Dominican amber. [1] [2]
The M. paachtun female is mostly a creamy white in coloration with "splattering"s of nut-brown, though the specimen shows areas of recrystallization where the cuticle and amber reacted forming possible calcium carbonates. The total body length is 35.5 mm (1.40 in) and has a total of 19 body segments plus head. The head is a little wider than the next body segment, called the collum. The antennae have a total of seven antennomeres that vary in length. The longest segments are antennomeres 2 and 6, while the shortest are antennomeres 1 and 7. The tops of the collum and body segments 2 to 5 are heavily lobed with three rows of lobes on each segment. The large lobes change to more scattered small lobes on segments 6 and 7. The segments gradually get wider from the head to segment 16 after which the segments start to narrow progressively to segment 19. [2]
Hyptia deansi is an extinct species of ensign wasp in the family Evaniidae known from a solitary Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossil found in Mexico. H. deansi is the only species in the genus Hyptia to have been described from fossils and the only ensign wasp described from Mexican amber.
Schwenckfeldina archoica is an extinct species of dark winged fungus gnat in the family Sciaridae known from a solitary Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossil found in Mexico. S. archoica is the only species in the genus Schwenckfeldina to have been described from fossils found in Mexican amber.
Mastotermes electromexicus is an extinct species of termite in the family Mastotermitidae known from a group of Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossils found in Mexico. M. electromexicus is the only species in the genus Mastotermes to have been described from fossils found in Mexican amber and was the first member of the genus described from the New World. The only living species of Mastotermes is Mastotermes darwiniensis which is found in tropical regions of Northern Australia.
Termitaradus dominicanus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from a Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. T. dominicanus is the third species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber after Termitaradus avitinquilinus and Termitaradus mitnicki.
Termitaradus protera is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossils found in Mexico. T. protera is the only species in the extant genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Mexican amber and is one of four species from new world amber; the others are Termitaradus avitinquilinus, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki. T. protera was also the first termite bug described from the fossil record.
Termitaradus avitinquilinus is an extinct species of termite bug in the family Termitaphididae known from several possibly Miocene fossils found in the Dominican Republic. T. avitinquilinus is the first species in the genus Termitaradus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber and is one of four species from New World amber, the others being Termitaradus protera, Termitaradus dominicanus and Termitaradus mitnicki.
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.
Acanthostichus hispaniolicus is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Dorylinae known from a group of possibly Miocene fossils found on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. A. hispaniolicus is the first species of the ant genus Acanthostichus to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber, and is the only species of Acanthostichus found in the West Indies.
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.
Aphaenogaster praerelicta is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a solitary Late Oligocene to Early Miocene fossil found in Mexico. At the time of description A. praerelicta was one of three Aphaenogaster species known from Mexico.
Siphoniulus is a poorly known genus of millipede containing only two living species: S. alba from Indonesia, and S. neotropicus from Mexico and Guatemala. An additional two fossil species are known from Cretaceous amber. Siphoniulus species are the only members of the family Siphoniulidae and order Siphoniulida, making Siphoniulida the smallest millipede order. Few specimens are known, and their classification is contentious, although most recent studies place them as basal members of the Helminthomorpha.
Stemmiulida is an order of millipedes consisting of approximately 130 species, reaching up to 50 mm in length. It contains a single family, Stemmiulidae.
Apterostigma electropilosum is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae known from a single possibly Miocene fossil found on Hispaniola. A. electropilosum is one of only two species of the ant genus Apterostigma and one of five attini species to have been described from fossils found in Dominican amber.
Tityus apozonalli is an extinct species of scorpion in the family Buthidae known from a fossil found in North America. The species is one of two scorpions described from Mexican amber and one of seven species from Central American amber deposits.
Parastemmiulus is an extinct genus of millipede in the family Stemmiulidae known from a fossil found in Mexico. There is one described species in the genus, Parastemmiulus elektron. The species is one of three millipedes described from Mexican amber, and the oldest Stemmiulidae fossil species as of 2013.
Anbarrhacus is an extinct genus of millipede in the family Platyrhacidae known from a fossil found in North America. There is one described species in the genus, Anbarrhacus adamantis, which is one of three millipedes described from Mexican amber.
Mexican amber, also known as Chiapas Amber is amber found in Mexico, created during the late Oligocene and Early 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.
Gyaclavator is an extinct genus of lace bug in the family Tingidae known from a fossil found in North America. The genus contains a single species, Gyaclavator kohlsi.
Profidia is an extinct genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It contains only one species, Profidia nitida. It is known from Oligo-Miocene amber found near Simojovel in Chiapas, Mexico.