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The Paoliidae (Insecta, Neoptera; Carboniferous) and their significance for the basal phylogeny of the Pterygota (Insecta) and the problem of the relationships between ''Palaeoptera'' and Neoptera. - Insecta: Neoptera: Paoliidae, Carboniferous, phylogeny

Subject Area Palaeontology
Term from 2008 to 2014
Project identifier Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 50868554
 
Final Report Year 2012

Final Report Abstract

The entire material of fossil Neoptera (mainly the family Paoliidae HANDLIRSCH, 1906) from Hagen-Vorhalle was re-investigated and compared with specimens from other collections of private persons and institutional collections in Birmingham, Brussels, Chicago, Kraków, Krefeld, Leiden, London, Moscow, Ostrava, Paris, and Praha. In part new technologies of illumination (e.g. UV light) and magnification (e.g. 3D digital microscope) were used and gave new insights to anatomy and, successive, systematic paleontology. In particular, the abundant and well known species Kochopteron hoffmannorum BRAUCK- MANN, 1984 was intensively investigated as it was of uncertain systematic position so far. Taking in account its wing venation pattern and intra-specific variation it could be allocated to the family Paoliidae. Furthermore the material delivered proofs of prothoracic winglets (a strongly plesiomorphic character) and simple female ovipositors in this species. The two families Paoliidae and Blattinopsidae BOLTON, 1925 were grouped into the taxon Paoliida ROHDENDORF, 1977 (= Protoptera SHAROV, 1966) sensu nov. and a new diagnosis was given. The Paoliida were considered to be a potential sister taxon of the Dictyoptera, mainly on the basis of some of their wing venation characters: (i) well-defined anterior branches of CuA+, with (ii) the same convexity as the median vein and (iii) more concave then the posterior branches of the same vein. A new small species was discovered in the Vorhalle collection of the LWL-Museum in Münster. One single specimen (formerly indexed as “Neoptera inc. sed.”) was allocated to the new species Baryshnyala occulta ILGER & BRAUCKMANN, 2011 within the monospecific family Baryshnyalidae ILGER & BRAUCKMANN, 2011. It shows similarities to the so far oldest known holometabolous insect Westphalomerope maryvonneae NEL et al., 2007 but is even older. If our suggestions are true, B. occulta might be the oldest representative of Holometabola. Furthermore we were able to describe the first insect remains from a probably only slightly younger section near Fröndenberg/Ruhr. It bears similar findings like those of Hagen- Vorhalle, e.g. Homaloneura berenice BRAUCKMANN & GRÖNING, 1998 (Palaeodictyoptera: Spilapteridae HANDLIRSCH, 1906) and Kochopteron hoffmannorum (Neoptera: Paoliidae). Additionally a new species was described: Bechala sommeri ILGER & BRAUCKMANN, 2011. Primarily it was assigned to the Megasecoptera HANDLIRSCH, 1906 but after further preparation and investigation with advanced optics it was re-described as a representative of early Odonatoptera MARTYNOV, 1932. Finally the attachment of juvenile shells of Naiadites vorhallensis HUWE, 2006 (Pteriomorphia BEURLEN, 1944: Pterioida NEWELL, 1965: Myalinidae FRECH, 1891) led to a new taphonomic model of the Hagen-Vorhalle section. Based on pale-geographic and paleooceanigraphic models a six-staged drifting period was postulated. This indicated a well stratified water column within a deltaic complex.

Publications

  • (2008). Die Insekten Konservat-Lagerstätte Hagen-Vorhalle. Deutsche Gesellschaft für allgemeine und angewandte Entomologie (DGaaE) Nachrichten, 22: 139–140
    Brauckmann, C. & Ilger, J.-M.
  • (2008). Evidence for Prothoracic Winglets in Kochopteron hoffmannorum from Hagen-Vorhalle (“basal Neoptera”; early Late Carboniferous; Germany). Entomologia Generalis 31: 279–285
    Ilger, J.-M. & Brauckmann, C.
  • (2009). Ein neues taphonomisches Modell zur Insekten-Lagerstätte Hagen-Vorhalle („basale Neoptera“; tiefes Ober-Karbon, älteres Bashkirium). Terra Nostra 2009/3: 55–56
    Ilger, J.-M. & Brauckmann, C.
  • (2010). The “basal Neoptera” from Hagen-Vorhalle (early Late Carboniferous; Germany) – New anatomical features and their phylogenetic implication. The 5th International Conference on Fossil Insects / The 4th World Congress on Amber Inclusions / The 4th International Meeting on Continental Palaeoarthropodology, August 20th-25th, Beijing (China): 142
    Ilger, J.-M. & Brauckmann, C.
  • (2010). Von den ältesten Insekten [On the Most Ancient Insects]. Entomologie heute, 22: 17–40
    Brauckmann, C., Gröning, E. & Ilger, J.-M.
  • (2011). Die Konservatlagerstätte Hagen-Vorhalle: Neue Ergebnisse zur Taphonomie und Paläoentomologie. Beiträge zur Paläontologie, 32: 12
    Ilger, J.-M. & Brauckmann, C.
  • (2011). Intra-water column drifting as a new taphonomic model of the Konservat-Lagerstätte Hagen-Vorhalle (early Late Carboniferous; Germany). Beiträge zur Paläontologie, 32: 58
    Ilger, J.-M. & Brauckmann, C.
  • (2011). The Neoptera of the key-Lagerstätte Hagen-Vorhalle – Paleo-environmental history, taphonomy, systematics, and the exploration of new Lagerstätten. Doctoral Thesis (Dissertation) Clausthal University of Technology. – 83 p.
    Ilger, J.-M.
  • (2011). The smallest Neoptera (Baryshnyalidae fam. n.) from Hagen-Vorhalle (early Late Carboniferous: Namurian B; Germany). ZooKeys, 130: 91–102
    Ilger, J.-M. & Brauckmann, C.
  • (2011). Young bivalves on insect wings: A new taphonomic model of the Konservat-Lagerstätte Hagen-Vorhalle (early Late Carboniferous: Namurian B; Germany). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 310: 315–323
    Ilger, J.-M.
  • (2012). Bechala sommeri Ilger & Brauckmann, 2012 enlightens the Namurian griffenfly diversity (Insecta: Odonatoptera: Bechalidae). Insect Systematics & Evolution, 43: 161–169
    Nel, A., Ilger, J.-M., Brauckmann, C. & Prokop, J.
  • (2012). First report of Namurian insects (Palaeodictyoptera; Megasecoptera; “basal Neoptera”) from the Küchenberg near Fröndenberg/Ruhr (Germany). Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 86: 161–174
    Ilger, J.-M. & Brauckmann, C.
 
 

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