Anisoptera

Evolution

Anisoptera first appeared during the Toarcian age of the Early Jurassic, and the crown group developed in the Middle Jurassic. They retain some traits of their distant predecessors, and are in a group known as the Palaeoptera, meaning 'ancient-winged'. Like the gigantic griffenflies, dragonflies lack the ability to fold their wings up against their bodies in the way that many modern insects can, although some evolved their own different way to do so. The forerunners of modern Odonata are included in a clade called the Panodonata, which include the basal Zygoptera (damselflies) and the Anisoptera (true dragonflies). Today, some 3,000 species are extant around the world.