TY - JOUR
T1 - Morphological phylogenetics provide new insights into the classification and evolution of fossil soldier beetles from Mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)
AU - Hsiao, Yun
AU - Li, Yun
AU - Ren, Dong
AU - Pang, Hong
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
PY - 2021/12/1
Y1 - 2021/12/1
N2 - Cantharidae is a diverse group of soft-bodied beetles and frequently occurs in the Mid-Cretaceous (c. 99 Mya) amber of Myanmar. In the present paper, three new soldier beetles, Cretocantharis veda gen. & sp. nov., Palaeocantharispanna gen. & sp. nov. and Hukawngichthyurus maha sp. nov. are reported. A phylogenetic reconstruction of Cantharidae, including all extant subfamilies and tribes, corroborates a distinct lineage comprising cantharine-like cantharids from Burmese amber as sister to Silini (Silinae), revealing that the current subfamilial placement is probably inadequate. Together with our results and recent molecular phylogenetic frameworks, it reveals that subfamilies of Cantharidae evolved during the Cretaceous period and highlights a probable Gondwanan ancestry of main cantharid groups. Our topology also proposes that the systematically controversial tribe Tytthonyxini of Silinae constitutes an independent clade sister to Malthininae, rather than the component of Silinae. Furthermore, Archaeomalthodes rosetta, previously placed in Malthininae, is recovered as a member of Dysmorphocerinae, representing the oldest fossil record for this subfamily and enhancing the Gondwanan origin hypothesis of Burmese amber biota. The previous interpretation of reticulated elytra as a lycid-mimicry for the Cretaceous cantharid fossils and pleisiomorphy of Cantharidae are challenged and discussed.
AB - Cantharidae is a diverse group of soft-bodied beetles and frequently occurs in the Mid-Cretaceous (c. 99 Mya) amber of Myanmar. In the present paper, three new soldier beetles, Cretocantharis veda gen. & sp. nov., Palaeocantharispanna gen. & sp. nov. and Hukawngichthyurus maha sp. nov. are reported. A phylogenetic reconstruction of Cantharidae, including all extant subfamilies and tribes, corroborates a distinct lineage comprising cantharine-like cantharids from Burmese amber as sister to Silini (Silinae), revealing that the current subfamilial placement is probably inadequate. Together with our results and recent molecular phylogenetic frameworks, it reveals that subfamilies of Cantharidae evolved during the Cretaceous period and highlights a probable Gondwanan ancestry of main cantharid groups. Our topology also proposes that the systematically controversial tribe Tytthonyxini of Silinae constitutes an independent clade sister to Malthininae, rather than the component of Silinae. Furthermore, Archaeomalthodes rosetta, previously placed in Malthininae, is recovered as a member of Dysmorphocerinae, representing the oldest fossil record for this subfamily and enhancing the Gondwanan origin hypothesis of Burmese amber biota. The previous interpretation of reticulated elytra as a lycid-mimicry for the Cretaceous cantharid fossils and pleisiomorphy of Cantharidae are challenged and discussed.
KW - Burmite
KW - Gondwanan origin
KW - cantharids
KW - morphology-based phylogeny
KW - subfamilial classification
KW - taxonomy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113951783&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa184
DO - 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa184
M3 - Article
SN - 0024-4082
VL - 193
SP - 1271
EP - 1293
JO - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
JF - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
IS - 4
ER -