Mesozoic Biological Events and Ecosystems in East Asia

Mesozoic Biological Events and Ecosystems in East Asia covers a wide range of topics, encompassing palaeoenvironments, palaeoecosystems and important vertebrate, invertebrate and plant fossils, some found in amber with excellent preservation of delicate morphological features. Fifty-three authors from a number of different disciplines – geochronology, palaeontology, stratigraphy, sedimentology, tectonics and geochemistry – contribute to the 18 articles in the volume.
Well-preserved fossils and rocks continue to be found from marine and terrestrial sediments across East Asia. Over some years, the palaeontological and geological evidence discovered from this region has significantly improved our understanding of Mesozoic environments. In discussing feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, early mammals, diverse insects, amber inclusions, the oldest-known flowers and research utilizing new, advanced methods, this volume explores Earth's history in even greater detail. What other exciting discoveries are waiting to be unveiled in the future?
Is the beetle Omma (Insecta: Coleoptera) a living fossil?
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Published:July 29, 2022
Abstract
A new ommatin beetle, Omma (Coronomma) axsmithi subgen. et sp. nov. (Insecta: Coleoptera: Archostemata: Ommatidae sensu stricto (Cupedidae sensu lato)) is described in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber from northern Myanmar. The new taxon distinctly differs from nominotypical Omma in possessing a subquadrilateral v. subglobose pronotum, the latter visible in Omma lii from the same deposit. The uniquely preserved male genitalia of the latter are compared and contrasted with extant ommatins and fossil notocupedins. This new analysis suggests that the living Australian ommatin beetles (Omma, Beutelius) may not be as ancient as is sometimes supposed.
- amber
- Archostemata
- Arthropoda
- Asia
- biologic evolution
- Burma
- Coleoptera
- Cretaceous
- Endopterygota
- Far East
- holotypes
- Insecta
- living fossils
- Mandibulata
- Mesozoic
- Middle Cretaceous
- morphology
- Neoptera
- new taxa
- organic minerals
- paleoecology
- phylogeny
- Pterygota
- reproduction
- sexual dimorphism
- taxonomy
- Cupedidae
- Omma
- Ommatinae
- Kachin Burma
- Ommatidae
- Omma lii
- Ommatini
- Coronomma
- Omma axsmithi
- Beutelius