Specialized Predation Drives Aberrant Morphological Integration and Diversity in the Earliest Ants

Barden, Phillip; Perrichot, Vincent; Wang, Bo

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.106

Cited by 48 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Crucially, several of these groups may have initially driven the evolution of bioluminescence in beetles diversifying during the KTR. The earliest ants are known from Cretaceous amber deposits and stem-group ants co-occurred with Cretophengodes in the Burmese amber forest [45,46]. Major clades of frogs (Anura) originated in the Early Cretaceous and the group became morphologically diverse during this period [47,48].…”

Section: (B) Evolution Of Beetle Bioluminescence: Timing and Driversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cretophengodidae, a new Cretaceous beetle family, sheds light on the evolution of bioluminescence

Kundrata

Tihelka

et al. 2021

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Bioluminescent beetles of the superfamily Elateroidea (fireflies, fire beetles, glow-worms) are the most speciose group of terrestrial light-producing animals. The evolution of bioluminescence in elateroids is associated with unusual morphological modifications, such as soft-bodiedness and neoteny, but the fragmentary nature of the fossil record discloses little about the origin of these adaptations. We report the discovery of a new bioluminescent elateroid beetle family from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar ( ca 99 Ma), Cretophengodidae fam. nov. Cretophengodes azari gen. et sp. nov. belongs to the bioluminescent lampyroid clade, and would appear to represent a transitional fossil linking the soft-bodied Phengodidae + Rhagophthalmidae clade and hard-bodied elateroids. The fossil male possesses a light organ on the abdomen which presumably served a defensive function, documenting a Cretaceous radiation of bioluminescent beetles coinciding with the diversification of major insectivore groups such as frogs and stem-group birds. The discovery adds a key branch to the elateroid tree of life and sheds light on the evolution of soft-bodiedness and the historical biogeography of elateroid beetles.

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Section: (B) Evolution Of Beetle Bioluminescence: Timing and Driversmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cretophengodidae, a new Cretaceous beetle family, sheds light on the evolution of bioluminescence

Kundrata

Tihelka

et al. 2021

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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“…is unparalleled among extant insects but shows a staggering similarity to the ‘hell ants’ (Formicidae: Haidomyrmecinae) described from Cretaceous amber deposits [ 28 ]. ‘Hell ants’ were able to move their mandibles vertically to interlock with a cephalic projection, and a function as prey-capturing device has been verified based on the discovery of a fossil specimen holding its roach-like prey [ 29 ]. The mandibular articulation of ‘hell ants’ is currently not known but the observed similarities to Colotrechninae sp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of flexible biting in hyperdiverse parasitoid wasps

et al. 2022

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One key event in insect evolution was the development of mandibles with two joints, which allowed powerful biting but restricted their movement to a single degree of freedom. These mandibles define the Dicondylia, which constitute over 99% of all extant insect species. It was common doctrine that the dicondylic articulation of chewing mandibles remained unaltered for more than 400 million years. We report highly modified mandibles overcoming the restrictions of a single degree of freedom and hypothesize their major role in insect diversification. These mandibles are defining features of parasitoid chalcid wasps, one of the most species-rich lineages of insects. The shift from powerful chewing to precise cutting likely facilitated adaptations to parasitize hosts hidden in hard substrates, which pose challenges to the emerging wasps. We reveal a crucial step in insect evolution and highlight the importance of comprehensive studies even of putatively well-known systems.

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“…It is the Mesozoic fossils which have imparted the deepest insight into ant evolution, from the first description of a stem-ant species which refined our knowledge of the ant ground plan (Wilson et al 1967a, b), to the first Cretaceous crown ants Agosti 2000, McKellar et al 2013a) which have informed our chronological estimates of ant origins (e.g., Brady et al 2006;Moreau et al 2006;Borowiec et al 2019). Some of the most remarkable specimens, however, have been representatives of a lost fauna of highly modified top predators, including the so-called "hell ants" ( †Haidomyrmecinae, e.g., Barden et al 2020;Perrichot et al 2020) and "iron-maiden ants" ( †Zigrasimeciinae stat. nov., e.g., Cao et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

†Camelosphecia gen. nov., lost ant-wasp intermediates from the mid-Cretaceous (Hymenoptera, Formicoidea)

Boudinot¹,

Perrichot²,

Chaul³

2020

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Fossils provide primary material evidence for the pattern and timing of evolution. The newly discovered “beast ants” from mid-Cretaceous Burmite, †Camelospheciagen. nov., display an exceptional combination of plesiomorphies, including absence of the metapleural gland, and a series of unique apomorphies. Females and males, represented by †C. fossorsp. nov. and †C. venatorsp. nov., differ in a number of features which suggest distinct sexual biologies. Combined-evidence phylogenetic analysis recovers †Camelosphecia and †Camelomecia as a clade which forms the extinct sister group of the Formicidae. Notably, these genera are only known from alate males and females; workers, if present, have yet to be recovered. Based on ongoing study of the total Aculeata informed by the beast ant genera, we provide a brief diagnosis of the Formicoidea. We also provide the first comprehensive key to the major groupings of Mesozoic Formicoidea, alongside a synoptic classification in which †Zigrasimeciinaestat. nov. and †Myanmyrma marauderacomb. nov. are recognized. Finally, a brief diagnosis of the Formicoidea is outlined.

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Specialized Predation Drives Aberrant Morphological Integration and Diversity in the Earliest Ants

Cited by 48 publications

References 75 publications

Cretophengodidae, a new Cretaceous beetle family, sheds light on the evolution of bioluminescence

Cretophengodidae, a new Cretaceous beetle family, sheds light on the evolution of bioluminescence

Evolution of flexible biting in hyperdiverse parasitoid wasps

†Camelosphecia gen. nov., lost ant-wasp intermediates from the mid-Cretaceous (Hymenoptera, Formicoidea)

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