Plecia canadensis

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Plecia canadensis
Plecia canadensis hypotype Rice 1959 pl2 fig8.png
Plecia canadensis hypotype fossil
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Bibionidae
Genus: Plecia
Species:
P. canadensis
Binomial name
Plecia canadensis
Synonyms

Plecia canadensis is an extinct species of Plecia in the fly family Bibionidae. The species is solely known from Early Eocene sediments exposed in central southern British Columbia. The species is one of twenty bibionid species described from the Eocene Okanagan Highlands paleofauna.

Contents

History & classification

The holotype fossil of Plecia canadensis was collected by Lawrence Lambe from outcrops of the Allenby Formation along the Tulameen River on 6 August 1906, and then subsequently described by Anton Handlirsch in 1910. The type description was published in his Canadian fossil Insects. 5. Insects from the Tertiary lake deposits of the southern interior of British Columbia, along with a series of 19 other bibionid species. Handlirsch did not include the etymological derivation of species names in the volume. [2]

While reviewing the tertiary fossil bibionids of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands, Rice (1959) transferred almost all described species from the genus Penthetria to Plecia based on the angles of the R3+4 vein, which were deemed closer to that of modern Plecia species than that of Penthetria. [1] This decision resulted in the species move from Penthetria canadensis to Plecia canadensis and an additional 7 fossils were identified as Pl. canadensis during study of the Geological Survey of Canada collections as hypotypes. Rice additionally noted the close similarity in wing morphology to the species Plecia avus , Plecia dilatata , Plecia pictipennis , Plecia pulchra , and Plecia transitoria . Based on the larger specimen set in the redescription, he mused on the possibility they might intergrade enough to be a single species rather than multiple species. [1]

Description

1910 illustration from Handlirsch of the type specimen wing Plecia canadensis Handlirsch 1910 Fig26 cropped.png
1910 illustration from Handlirsch of the type specimen wing

The wings of Plecia canadensis are on average between 9.5–10.5 mm (0.37–0.41 in) long and 4–4.5 mm (0.16–0.18 in) wide giving them a "stout" appearance. One hypotype wing is smaller than average with an estimated length of 8.2 mm (0.32 in) though it is incomplete so the width was not determinable. The costal edge of the wing is only moderately curved and some specimens show an indentation along the wing edge when the subcostal vein terminates. In specimens where the wing apex is known the wing tip is broadly rounded. The R3+4 fork of the radial vein is of moderate length and diverges from the R5 distinctly. [1]

Distribution

Plecia canadensis has been recovered from up to four locations in the Okanagan highlands, with the type locality being on the Tulameen River "opposite Vermilion Cliff" in the Allenby Formation near Princeton, British Columbia. [2] Additional fossils were subsequently identified by Rice (1959) from the Tranquille Creek near Cache Creek, the driftwood Shales near Smithers, and possibly the Coldwater Beds near Quilchena. [1]

Paleoecology

The Okanagan Highland sites represent upland lake systems that were surrounded by a warm temperate ecosystem with nearby volcanism. [3] The highlands likely had a mesic upper microthermal to lower mesothermal climate, in which winter temperatures rarely dropped low enough for snow, and which were seasonably equitable. [4] The Okanagan Highlands paleoforest surrounding the lakes have been described as precursors to the modern temperate broadleaf and mixed forests of Eastern North America and Eastern Asia. Based on the fossil biotas the lakes were higher and cooler than the coeval coastal forests preserved in the Puget Group and Chuckanut Formation of Western Washington, which are described as lowland tropical forest ecosystems. Estimates of the paleoelevation range between 0.7–1.2 km (0.43–0.75 mi) higher than the coastal forests. This is consistent with the paleoelevation estimates for the lake systems, which range between 1.1–2.9 km (1,100–2,900 m), which is similar to the modern elevation 0.8 km (0.50 mi), but higher. [4]

Estimates of the mean annual temperature have been derived from climate leaf analysis multivariate program (CLAMP) analysis and leaf margin analysis (LMA) the Princeton paleoflora. The CLAMP results after multiple linear regressions for Princeton's gave a 5.1 °C (41.2 °F), and the LMA returned a mean annual temperature of 5.1 ± 2.2 °C (41.2 ± 4.0 °F). This is lower than the mean annual temperature estimates given for the coastal Puget Group, which is estimated to have been between 15–18.6 °C (59.0–65.5 °F). The bioclimatic analysis for Princeton suggest mean annual precipitation amount of 114 ± 42 cm (45 ± 17 in). [4]

Related Research Articles

Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Driftwood Canyon Provincial Park covers 23 ha of the Bulkley River Valley, on the east side of Driftwood Creek, a tributary of the Bulkley River, 10 km northeast of the town of Smithers. The park is accessible from Driftwood Road from Provincial Highway 16. It was created in 1967 by the donation of the land by the late Gordon Harvey (1913–1976) to protect fossil beds on the east side of Driftwood Creek. The beds were discovered around the beginning of the 20th century. The park lands are part of the asserted traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Klondike Mountain Formation</span>

The Klondike Mountain Formation is an Early Eocene (Ypresian) geological formation located in the northeast central area of Washington state. The formation is comprised of volcanic rocks in the upper unit and volcanic plus lacustrine (lakebed) sedimentation in the lower unit. the formation is named for the type location designated in 1962, Klondike Mountain northeast of Republic, Washington. The formation is a lagerstätte with exceptionally well-preserved plant and insect fossils has been found, along with fossil epithermal hot springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allenby Formation</span>

The Allenby formation is a sedimentary rock formation in British Columbia which was deposited during the Ypresian stage of the Early Eocene. It consists of conglomerates, sandstones with interbedded shales and coal. The shales contain an abundance of insect, fish and plant fossils known from 1877 and onward, while the Princeton Chert was first indented in the 1950's and is known from anatomically preserved plants.

The Coldwater Beds are a geologic formation of the Okanagan Highlands in British Columbia, Canada. They preserve fossils dating back to the Ypresian stage of the Eocene period, or Wasatchian in the NALMA classification.

<i>Hiodon woodruffi</i> Extinct species of fish

Hiodon woodruffi is an extinct species of bony fish in the mooneye family, Hiodontidae. The species is known from fossils found in the early Eocene deposits of northern Washington state in the United States and late Eocene deposits in northwestern Montana. The species was first described as Eohiodon woodruffi. H. woodruffi is one of two Eocene Okanagan Highlands mooneye species, and one of five fish identified in the Klondike Mountain Formation.

<i>Pinus latahensis</i> Extinct species of conifer

Pinus latahensis is an extinct species of conifer in the pine family Pinaceae. The species is known from fossil leaves found in the early Eocene deposits of northern Washington state, United States, and southern British Columbia, Canada.

<i>Comptonia columbiana</i> Extinct species of sweet fern

Comptonia columbiana is an extinct species of sweet fern in the flowering plant family Myricaceae. The species is known from fossil leaves found in the early Eocene deposits of central to southern British Columbia, Canada, plus northern Washington state, United States, and, tentatively, the late Eocene of Southern Idaho and Earliest Oligocene of Oregon, United States.

<i>Amia</i>? <i>hesperia</i> Extinct species of ray-finned fishes

Amia? hesperia is an extinct species of bony fish in the bowfin family, Amiidae. The species is known from fossils found in the early Eocene deposits of northern Washington state in the United States and southeastern British Columbia. The species is one of eight fish species identified in the Eocene Okanagan Highlands paleofauna.

<i>Barghoornia</i> Extinct species of flowering plants

Barghoornia is an extinct genus of flowering plants in the family Burseraceae containing the solitary species Barghoornia oblongifolia. The species is known from fossil leaves found in the early Eocene deposits of northern Washington state, United States.

<i>Equisetum similkamense</i> Extinct species of fern in the family Equisetacae

Equisetum similkamense is an extinct horsetail species in the family Equisetaceae described from a group of whole plant fossils including rhizomes, stems, and leaves. The species is known from Ypresian sediments exposed in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several extinct species placed in the living genus Equisetum.

<i>Fagus langevinii</i> Fossil species of beech tree

Fagus langevinii is an extinct species of beech in the family Fagaceae. The species is known from fossil fruits, nuts, pollen, and leaves found in the early Eocene deposits of South central British Columbia, and northern Washington state, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eocene Okanagan Highlands</span>

The Eocene Okanagan Highlands or Eocene Okanogan Highlands are a series of Early Eocene geological formations which span a 1,000 km (620 mi) transect of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state, United States. Known for a highly diverse and detailed plant and animal paleobiota the paleolake beds as a whole are considered one of the great Canadian Lagerstätten. The paleobiota represented are of an upland subtropical to temperate ecosystem series immediately after the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum, and before the increased cooling of the middle and late Eocene to Oligocene. The fossiliferous deposits of the region were noted as early as 1873, with small amounts of systematic work happening in the 1870–1920s on British Columbian sites, and 1920–1930s for Washington sites. Focus and more detailed descriptive work on the Okanagan Highland sites started in the late 1960s.

The paleofauna of the Eocene Okanagan Highlands is comprised of Early Eocene arthropods, vertebrates, plus rare nematodes and molluscs found in geological formations of the northwestern North American Eocene Okanagan Highlands. The highlands lake bed series' as a whole are considered one of the great Canadian Lagerstätten. The paleofauna represents that of a late Ypresian upland temperate ecosystem immediately after the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, and before the increased cooling of the middle and late Eocene to Oligocene. The fossiliferous deposits of the region were noted as early as 1873, with small amounts of systematic work happening in the 1880-90s on British Columbian sites, and 1920-30s for Washington sites. Focus and more detailed descriptive work on the Okanagan Highlands site started in the last 1970's. Most of the highlands sites are preserved as compression-impression fossils in "shales", but also includes a rare permineralized biota and an amber biota.

Uhlia is an extinct genus of coryphoid palm containing a single species Uhlia allenbyensis. The species is known from permineralized remains recovered from the Princeton Chert in British Columbia, Canada. Leaves of Uhlia have "tar spot"-like fungal infections of the extinct ascomycete Paleoserenomyces, which in turn are hyperparasitized by the ascomycete Cryptodidymosphaerites.

Paleoserenomyces is an extinct monotypic genus of pleosporale fungus of uncertain family placement. When described it contained the single species Paleoserenomyces allenbyensis. The genus is solely known from the Early Eocene, Ypresian aged, Princeton Chert deposit of the Allenby Formation. Palaeoserenomyces is one of only three described fossil fungus species found in the Princeton Chert, being a tar spot like parasite of the fossil palm Uhlia allenbyensis, and is host for the hyperparasite Cryptodidymosphaerites princetonensis.

Cryptodidymosphaerites is an extinct monotypic genus of pleosporale fungus of uncertain family placement. When described it contained the single species Cryptodidymosphaerites princetonensis. The genus is solely known from the Early Eocene, Ypresian aged, Princeton Chert deposit of the Allenby Formation. Cryptodidymosphaerites is one of only three described fossil fungus species found in the Princeton Chert, and is a hyperparasite of Palaeoserenomyces allenbyensis, itself a tar spot-like parasite of the fossil palm Uhlia.

Eoseira is an extinct genus of diatoms belonging to the family Aulacoseiraceae and containing the single species Eoseira wilsonii. The species is dated to the Early Eocenes Ypresian stage and have only been found at the type locality in east central British Columbia.

<i>Promastax</i>

Promastax is a genus of "monkey grasshoppers" belonging to the extinct monotypic family Promastacidae and containing the single species Promastax archaicus. The species is dated to the Early Eocenes Ypresian stage and has only been found at the type locality in east central British Columbia.

<i>Plecia avus</i> Extinct species of March fly

Plecia avus is an extinct species of Plecia in the March fly family Bibionidae and is solely known from Early Eocene sediments exposed in central southern British Columbia. The species is one of twenty bibionid species described from the Eocene Okanagan Highlands.

<i>Polystoechotites</i> Extinct genus of lacewings

Polystoechotites is an extinct parataxon of lacewings in the moth lacewing family Ithonidae. The taxon is a collective group for fossil polystechotid giant lacewing species whose genus affiliation is uncertain, but which are distinct enough to identify as segregate species. Polystoechotites species are known from Eocene fossils found in North America and is composed of four named species Polystoechotites barksdalae, Polystoechotites falcatus, Polystoechotites lewisi, and Polystoechotites piperatus, plus two unnamed species. Three of the described species are known from fossils recovered from the Eocene Okanagan Highlands of Washington State, while the fourth is from Colorado.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Rice, H. M. A (1959). "Fossil Bibionidae (Diptera) from British Columbia" (PDF). Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin . 55: 1–36. doi: 10.4095/100564 .
  2. 1 2 Handlirsch, A. (1910). "Canadian fossil Insects. 5. Insects from the Tertiary lake deposits of the southern interior of British Columbia, collected by Mr. Lawrence M. Lambe, in 1906". Contributions to Canadian Palaeontology. 2 (3): 93–129.
  3. Archibald, S.; Greenwood, D.; Smith, R.; Mathewes, R.; Basinger, J. (2011). "Great Canadian Lagerstätten 1. Early Eocene Lagerstätten of the Okanagan Highlands (British Columbia and Washington State)". Geoscience Canada. 38 (4): 155–164.
  4. 1 2 3 Greenwood, D.R.; Archibald, S.B.; Mathewes, R.W; Moss, P.T. (2005). "Fossil biotas from the Okanagan Highlands, southern British Columbia and northeastern Washington State: climates and ecosystems across an Eocene landscape" (PDF). Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 42 (2): 167–185. Bibcode:2005CaJES..42..167G. doi:10.1139/e04-100.