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Protopone
''Protopone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe and Asia. There are seven described species placed into the genus, ''Protopone? dubia'', ''Protopone germanica'', ''Protopone magna'', ''Protopone oculata'', ''Protopone primigena'', ''Protopone sepulta'', and ''Protopone vetula''. ''Protopone'' is one several Lutetian Ponerinae genera. History and classification When first described, ''Protopone'' was known from a single fossil insect included in a transparent chunk of Sakhalin amber. When the fossil was described it was part of the amber collections housed in the Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences. The amber was recovered from fossil bearing rocks in the Sakhalin region of Eastern Russia. At the time of description, the amber was estimated to date from the Paleocene. Further research has revised the amber, which originates from the Lower Due Formation, to be of Middle Eocene age. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messel Pit
The Messel pit (german: Grube Messel) is a disused quarry near the village of Messel ( Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg, Hesse) about southeast of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Bituminous shale was mined there. Because of its abundance of well-preserved fossils dating from the middle of the Eocene, it has significant geological and scientific importance. Over 1000 species of plants and animals have been found at the site. After almost becoming a landfill, strong local resistance eventually stopped these plans and the Messel Pit was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 9 December 1995. Significant scientific discoveries about the early evolution of mammals and birds are still being made at the Messel Pit, and the site has increasingly become a tourist site as well. History Brown coal and later oil shale was actively mined from 1859. The pit first became known for its wealth of fossils around 1900, but serious scientific excavation only started around the 1970s, when falling oil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messelepone
''Messelepone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. ''M. leptogenoides'' is the only species assigned to the genus, which is one of several Lutetian Ponerinae genera. History and classification When described, ''Messelepone'' was known from two fossil insects which are compression-impression fossils preserved in layers of soft sedimentary rock. Along with other well preserved insect fossils, the ''Messelepone'' specimens were collected from layers of the Lutetian Messel pit World Heritage Site. The formation is composed of brown coals, oil shales, and bituminous shale, which preserved numerous insects, fish, birds, reptiles, and terrestrial mammals as a notable lagerstätten. The area is a preserved maar lake which initially formed approximately 47 million years ago as the result of volcanic explosions. At the time of description, the holotype queen and paratype male specimens were preserved in the Sen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyrtopone
''Cyrtopone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. There are four described species placed into the genus, ''Cyrtopone curiosa'', ''Cyrtopone elongata'', ''Cyrtopone microcephala'', and ''Cyrtopone striata''. ''Cyrtopone'' is one several Lutetian Ponerinae genera. History and classification When described, ''Cyrtopone'' was known from four fossil insects which are compression-impression fossils preserved in layers of soft sedimentary rock. Along with other well preserved insect fossils, the ''Cyrtopone'' specimens were collected from layers of the Lutetian Messel pit World Heritage Site. The formation is composed of brown coals, oil shales, and bituminous shale, which preserved numerous insects, fish, birds, reptiles, and terrestrial mammals as a notable lagerstätten. The area is a preserved maar lake which initially formed approximately 47 million years ago as the result of volcanic explosions. At the t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cephalopone
''Cephalopone'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ponerinae described from fossils found in Europe. There are two described species placed into the genus, ''Cephalopone grandis'' and ''Cephalopone potens''. ''Cephalopone'' is one several Lutetian Ponerinae genera. History and classification When described, ''Cephalopone'' was known from three fossil insects which are compression-impression fossils preserved in layers of soft sedimentary rock. Along with other well preserved insect fossils, the ''Cephalopone'' specimens were collected from layers of the Lutetian Messel pit World Heritage Site. The formation is composed of brown coals, oil shales, and bituminous shale, which preserved numerous insects, fish, birds, reptiles, and terrestrial mammals as a notable lagerstätten. The area is a preserved maar lake which initially formed approximately 47 million years ago as the result of volcanic explosions. At the time of description, the holotype and para ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ponerinae
Ponerinae is a subfamily of ants in the Poneromorph subfamilies group, with about 1,600 species in 47 extant genera, including ''Dinoponera gigantea'' - one of the world's largest species of ant. Mated workers have replaced the queen as the functional egg-layers in several species of ponerine ants. In such queenless species, the reproductive status of workers can only be determined through ovarian dissections. Description and identification They are most easily identified from other subfamilies by possessing a single-node petiole with a constriction before the second gastral segment. They are rare examples of stinging ants. In addition to the sting, they can also be characterized by a single segmented petiole and the constriction of the first and second segment of the gaster. They can also be identified by the shape of their head. Female workers have twelve segmented antennae, whereas male workers have 13 segmented antennae. Behavior These ants typically nest in soil, for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance. The sites are judged to contain " cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a somehow unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains, or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty. A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gyne
The gyne (, from Greek γυνή, "woman") is the primary reproductive female caste of social insects (especially ants, wasps, and bees of order Hymenoptera, as well as termites). Gynes are those destined to become queens, whereas female workers are typically barren and cannot become queens. Having a queen is what makes a "queenright" hive, nest, or colony of eusocial insects. A colony with multiple queens is said to be a polygyne form, whereas one with only one is a monogyne form. The red imported fire ant is known to have colonies in both polygyne and monogyne forms. The small red ant, ''Leptothorax acervorum'', has colonies that switch from monogyny to polygyny as a result of seasonal fluctuations. The little fire ant ''Wasmannia auropunctata'' produces unique kinds of meiotic oocytes with a drastic reduction in recombination. These oocytes may either fuse together for gyne production ( automictic parthenogenesis with central fusion) or be fertilized by male gametes for the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ectatomminae
Ectatomminae is a subfamily of ants in the poneromorph subfamilies group containing four extant and three extinct genera in two tribes. The subfamily was created in 2003 when Barry Bolton divided the Ponerinae subfamily into six subfamilies. Genera *Ectatomminae Emery, 1895 **Ectatommini Emery, 1895 *** †'' Canapone'' Dlussky, 1999 *** ''Ectatomma'' Smith, 1858 *** †'' Electroponera'' Wheeler, 1915 *** ''Gnamptogenys'' Roger, 1863 *** †''Pseudectatomma'' Dlussky & Wedman, 2012 *** ''Rhytidoponera'' Mayr, 1862 **Typhlomyrmecini Emery, 1911 *** ''Typhlomyrmex ''Typhlomyrmex'' is a genus of ants in the subfamily Ectatomminae and the sole member of the tribe Typhlomyrmecini. Known from the Neotropics, the genus has a wide distribution. Some species are restricted in range, while for example ''Typhlomyr ...'' Mayr, 1862 References External links * Ant subfamilies Taxa named by Carlo Emery {{ant-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pseudectatomma
''Pseudectatomma'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Ectatomminae described by from fossils found in Europe. The genus contains two species dating from the Eocene, ''Pseudectatomma eocenica'' and ''Pseudectatomma striatula''. History and classification When described, ''Pseudectatomma'' was known from four fossil insects which are compression-impression fossils preserved in layers of soft sedimentary rock. Along with other well preserved insect fossils, the ''Pseudectatomma'' specimens were collected from layers of the Lutetian Messel pit World Heritage Site. The formation is composed of brown coals, oil shales, and bituminous shale, which preserved numerous insects, fish, birds, reptiles, and terrestrial mammals as a notable lagerstätten. The area is a preserved maar lake which initially formed approximately 47 million years ago as the result of volcanic explosions. At the time of description, the holotype and paratype specimens were preserved in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amblyoponinae
Amblyoponinae is a subfamily of ants in the poneromorph subfamilies group containing 13 extant genera and one extinct genus. The ants in this subfamily are mostly specialized subterranean predators. Adult workers pierce the integument (non lethally) of their larvae and pupa to imbibe haemolymph, earning them the common name Dracula ant. Identification Amblyoponinae is characterized by these worker characters: eyes small or absent, situated behind midlength of side of head; anterior margin of clypeus with specialized dentiform setae; promesonotal suture flexible; petiole very broadly attached to abdominal segment 3 and without a distinct posterior face; postpetiole absent; sting present and well developed. Systematics The subfamily was formerly considered a tribe within Ponerinae, but was elevated to its own subfamily in 2003 when Barry Bolton divided Ponerinae into six subfamilies. *Amblyoponinae Forel, 1893 ** Amblyoponini Forel, 1893 *** ''Adetomyrma'' Ward, 1994 *** '' Ambl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Casaleia
''Casaleia'' is an extinct genus of ants in the formicid subfamily Amblyoponinae described by Pagliano & Scaramozzino in 1990 from fossils found in Europe. The genus contains four species dating from the Eocene to Miocene, ''Casaleia eocenica'', ''Casaleia inversa'', ''Casaleia longiventris'', ''Casaleia orientalis''. History and classification The species placed in ''Casaleia'' have a varied history, with the type species ''Casaleia inversa'' originally described by Gennady Dlussky in 1981 as ''"Protamblyopone" inversa''. The fossil was recovered from Middle Miocene age sediments exposed in the Chon-Tyz mine, Naryn Region, Kyrgyzstan. However "Protamblyopone" was already used by William Morton Wheeler as a subgenus of '' Amblyopone''. To correct the homonym status, the species was moved to the new genus ''Casaleia'' by Pagliano and Scaramozzino in a 1990 paper. The second species in the genus, ''C. eocenica'', is of Lutetian age, and was recovered as a solitary compress ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Naturmuseum Senckenberg
The Naturmuseum Senckenberg is a museum of natural history, located in Frankfurt am Main. It is the second-largest of its type in Germany. The museum contains a large and diverse collection of birds with 90,000 bird skins, 5,050 egg sets, 17,000 skeletons, and 3,375 spirit specimens (a specimen preserved in fluid). In 2010, almost 517,000 people visited the museum. The building housing the Senckenberg Museum was erected between 1904 and 1907 outside of the center of Frankfurt in the same area as the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, which was founded in 1914. The museum is owned and operated by the Senckenberg Nature Research Society, which began with an endowment by Johann Christian Senckenberg. Attractions include a ''Diplodocus'' (donated by the American Museum of Natural History on the occasion of the present museum building's inauguration in 1907), the crested Hadrosaur ''Parasaurolophus'', a fossilized ''Psittacosaurus'' with clear bristles around its tail and visible f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
