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Protognathinus
''Protognathinus'' is an extinct genus of stag beetle from the Eocene of Europe, known from the Messel Pit in Germany. This genus is known from the single species ''P. spielbergi''. Etymology The specific name ''spielbergi'' refers to American film director Steven Spielberg, whose film Jurassic Park the authors considered to have contributed to the revival of interest in the earth's ancient past. Description At in total length, ''Protognathinus'' is one of the largest known fossil beetles in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea. It is comparable to other large fossil beetles such as ''Cheirotonus otai'' and '' Oryctoantiquus borealis''. Like other beetle fossils known from the Messel Pit, ''Protognathinus'' fossils retain the color of the exoskeleton. The details of the classification within the family are not well understood, and it is sometimes placed in Lampriminae and sometimes in Lucaninae. Morphological similarities with early Cretaceous species '' Litholamprima qizhihao ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ground Beetle
Ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan family (biology), family of beetles, the Carabidae, with more than 40,000 species worldwide, around 2,000 of which are found in North America and 2,700 in Europe. As of 2015, it is one of the 10 most species-rich animal families. They belong to the Adephaga. Members of the family are primarily carnivorous, but some members are phytophagous or omnivorous. Description and ecology Although their body shapes and coloring vary somewhat, most are shiny black or metallic and have ridged wing covers (elytra). The elytra are fused in some species, particularly the large Carabinae, rendering the beetles unable to fly. The species ''Mormolyce phyllodes'' is known as violin beetle due to their peculiarly shaped elytra. All carabids except the quite primitive flanged bombardier beetles (Paussinae) have a groove on their arthropod leg, fore leg tibiae bearing a comb of hairs used for cleaning their antenna (biology), antennae. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fossil Taxa Described In 2001
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants. The totality of fossils is known as the ''fossil record''. Paleontology is the study of fossils: their age, method of formation, and evolutionary significance. Specimens are usually considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are around 3.48 billion years old to 4.1 billion years old. Early edition, published online before print. The observation in the 19th century that certain fossils were associated with certain rock strata led to the recognition of a geological timescale and the relative ages of different fossils. The development of radiometric dating techniques in the early 20th century allowed scientists to quantitatively measure the absolute ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eocene Insects
The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "dawn") and (''kainós'', "new") and refers to the "dawn" of modern ('new') fauna that appeared during the epoch. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Paleocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the Eocene is marked by a brief period in which the concentration of the carbon isotope 13C in the atmosphere was exceptionally low in comparison with the more common isotope 12C. The end is set at a major extinction event called the ''Grande Coupure'' (the "Great Break" in continuity) or the Eocene–Oligocene extinction event, which may be related to the impact of one or more large bolides in Siberia and in what is now Chesapeake Bay. As with other geologic periods, the strata that define the start and end of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lucanidae Genera
Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections to nomenclature and a current classification. The Coleopterists Bulletin 60:144–204. Some species grow to over , but most to about . Overview The English language, English name is derived from the large and distinctive Insect mouthparts, mandibles found on the males of most species, which resemble the antlers of stags. A well-known species in much of Europe is ''Lucanus cervus'', referred to in some European countries (including the United Kingdom) as ''the'' stag beetle; it is the largest terrestrial insect in Europe. Pliny the Elder noted that Nigidius called the beetle ''lucanus'' after the Italian region of Lucania where they were used as amulets. The scientific name of ''Lucanus cervus'' adds ''cervus'', Cervus, deer. Male stag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maaradactylus Spielbergi
''Maaradactylus'' is a genus of anhanguerid pterodactyloid pterosaur known from the Lower Cretaceous period (Aptian to Albian stages) of the Romualdo Formation of northeastern Brazil. Discovery ''Maaradactylus'' is based on the Museu Paleontologico de Santana do Cariri specimen MPSC R 2357, a skull, atlas, and axis discovered in 2010 in the Aptian—Albian-age Romualdo Formation of Sítio São Gonçalo, Santana do Cariri, Ceará, in the Araripe Basin of Brazil. ''Maaradactylus'' was described by Renan Bantim and colleagues in 2014. The type species is ''Maaradactylus kellneri''. The generic name refers to Maara, in the legends of the Cariri the daughter of a chief, by sorcery changed into a river monster with long teeth, devouring fishermen. The suffix ~''dactylus'' is common in the names of pterosaurs and is derived from Greek δάκτυλος, ''daktylos'', "finger", referring to the long (fourth) wing finger. The specific name honors Alexander Kellner, Brazil's fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yixian Formation
The Yixian Formation (; formerly transcribed as Yihsien Formation) is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans the late Barremian and early Aptian stages of the Early Cretaceous. It is known for its exquisitely preserved fossils, and is mainly composed of basalts interspersed with siliciclastic sediments. History Japanese occupation The potential importance of the Yixian Formation was initially recognized during the time the Empire of Japan occupied China's Rehe ("Jehol") Province after the First battle of Hopei in 1933. Many Japanese scientists had noticed fossil remains of extinct fish and reptiles, possibly the champsosaurs. These initial fossil discoveries made by Japanese scientists vanished once World War II ended in 1945. Chinese rediscovery By 1949, when administration of the area passed to the Chinese Communist Party and its leader Mao Zedong, the fossils of Yixian were studied only by Chinese scientists. It was not unt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of the entire Phanerozoic. The name is derived from the Latin ''creta'', "chalk", which is abundant in the latter half of the period. It is usually abbreviated K, for its German translation ''Kreide''. The Cretaceous was a period with a relatively warm climate, resulting in high eustatic sea levels that created numerous shallow inland seas. These oceans and seas were populated with now- extinct marine reptiles, ammonites, and rudists, while dinosaurs continued to dominate on land. The world was ice free, and forests extended to the poles. During this time, new groups of mammals and birds appeared. During the Early Cretaceous, flowering plants appeared and began to rapidly diversify, becoming the dominant group of plants across the Earth b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lucaninae
The Lucaninae comprise the largest subfamily of the stag beetles (Lucanidae). Characteristics include partial to complete division of the eyes by a canthus, geniculate antennae, and distinctly separated coxae. The body is typically elongated and slightly flattened. Genera Some notable species are also listed: * '' Aegognathus'' * '' Aegus'' * '' Agnus'' * '' Allotopus'' * '' Amneidus'' * '' Andinolucanus'' * '' Aphanognathus'' * '' Apterocyclus'' * '' Apterodorcus'' Arrow, 1943 * '' Auxicerus'' * '' Bartolozziolucanus'' * '' Beneshius'' * '' Bomansius'' * '' Brasilucanus'' * '' Cacostomus'' ** '' C. squamosus'' * '' Calcodes'' * '' Cantharolethrus'' ** '' C. luxeri'' * '' Capreolucanus'' * ''Cardanus'' * '' Casignetus'' * '' Charagmophorus'' * '' Chewlucanus'' * '' Chiasognathus'' * '' Cladophyllus'' * '' Cladognathus'' * '' Colophon'' * '' Cyclommatus'' ** '' C. scutellaris'' * '' Dendezia'' * '' Diasomoides'' * '' Dinonigidius'' * '' Dorculus'' * '' Dorcus'' * '' Dynod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stag Beetle
Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections to nomenclature and a current classification. The Coleopterists Bulletin 60:144–204. Some species grow to over , but most to about . Overview The English name is derived from the large and distinctive mandibles found on the males of most species, which resemble the antlers of stags. A well-known species in much of Europe is ''Lucanus cervus'', referred to in some European countries (including the United Kingdom) as ''the'' stag beetle; it is the largest terrestrial insect in Europe. Pliny the Elder noted that Nigidius called the beetle ''lucanus'' after the Italian region of Lucania where they were used as amulets. The scientific name of ''Lucanus cervus'' adds ''cervus'', deer. Male stag beetles are known for their oversize mandi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
