Insectos del Mioceno inferior de Ribesalbes (Castellón, España). Interacciones planta-insecto

This paper carries out the study of ichnofossils originated by insects found in the Lower Miocene locality of 'La Rinconada', near Ribesalbes (Province of Castellón, Spain). The main fossil record is integrated by plant-insect interactions that are observed in leaves and leaflets: ovipositions, mines and a chew mark. The insect ovipositions, on leaves of Laurophyllum, Caesalpiniaceae and Populus, show ovate to oblong eggs with 0.9-1.1 mm length and 0.2-0.3 mm width. They occur in eccentric arcs, sometimes with a zigzagged pattern. These ovipositions were produced by damselflies of the family Coenagrionidae. Insect mines are reported in leaves of Laurophyllum and Celtis?, and show a blotch shape in Laurophyllum sp., with a channel-structure, and a linear shape in Celtis sp.? Insect larvae, which were endophytophagous, i.e. internal plant parasites, produced these channel marks of leaf-mines. The mine patterns observed in Laurophyllum leaf are similar to those produced by the recent larvae of the Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera). Such a diverse set of plant-insect interactions are uncommon in the fossil record. In addition, one level with bioturbation, possibly produced by aquatic larval chironomids, is also described here. Key words: Insecta, Odonata, Coenagrionidae, ovipositions, Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae, leaf-mines, leaf chew marks, Miocene, Spain.En el presente trabajo se realiza el estudio de icnofósiles originados por insectos que se han encontrado en el yacimiento de 'La Rinconada', del Mioceno Inferior, en Ribesalbes (Castellón). El registro fósil más importante está constituido por interacciones planta-insecto observadas en hojas y folíolos: puestas, minas y una marca de mordedura en el margen foliar. Las puestas, en hojas de Laurophyllum, Caesalpiniaceae y Populus, muestran huevos con una forma aovada-oblonga con una longitud de 0,9-1,1 mm y una anchura de 0,2-0,3 mm. Su disposición muestra un patrón linear y curvo, ocasionalmente las líneas se disponen en zigzag. Estas ovoposiciones fueron producidas por odonatos de la familia Coenagrionidae. Las minas han sido observadas en hojas de Laurophyllum y Celtis?, y tienen forma de mancha en Laurophyllum sp., con estructura de galería, y una forma linear en Celtis sp.? Estas marcas de minas en las hojas fueron producidas por larvas endofitófagas que por ello eran también parásitos internos de las plantas. Los patrones de las minas en la hoja de Laurophyllum son similares a los producidos actualmente por larvas de la familia Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera). Las diferentes interacciones entre plantas e insectos aquí descritas son poco comunes en el registro fósil. Asimismo, se describe un nivel con bioturbación debida a larvas acuáticas de insectos, posiblemente quironómidos. Palabras clave: Insecta, Odonata, Coenagrionidae, puestas, Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae, hojas minadas, marcas de mordedura, Mioceno, España

Insectos del Mioceno Inferior de Ribesalbes (Castellón, España). Hymenoptera

This paper studies a significant part of the fossil hymenopterous of the Lower Miocene locality of 'La Rinconada', near Ribesalbes (Province of Castellón, Spain), housed in several collections. Formicidae studied by other authors in the early eighties are reviewed. New additions to the study of hymenopterans are new specimens assigned to the following taxa: Tiphiidae indet., Ammophila aff. sabulosa (Sphecidae), Bombus sp. (Apidae), Helconinae (Braconidae), cf. Eucerotinae (Ichneumonidae) and Pteromalidae indet., together with several undetermined forms of Braconidae and Ichneumonidae. Except for Formicidae, all these taxa are uncommon in the fossil record. At Ribesalbes, they are represented by single specimens, except for the two specimens of the genus Bombus. Taphonomic observations are included and two useful methods for the study of compressed fossil insects affected by tectonic deformation are proposed. Key words: Insecta, Hymenoptera, Lacustrine environment, Lower Miocene, Spain.En el presente trabajo se realiza el estudio de una parte importante de los himenópteros fósiles del yacimiento del Mioceno Inferior de 'La Rinconada', en Ribesalbes (Castellón), presentes en varias colecciones. Se realiza una revisión de los Formicidae estudiados por otros autores a principios de los 80. Se añaden al estudio de los himenópteros nuevos ejemplares que han sido incluidos en los siguientes taxones: Tiphiidae indet., Ammophila aff. sabulosa (Sphecidae), Bombus sp. (Apidae), Helconinae (Braconidae), cf. Eucerotinae (Ichneumonidae) y Pteromalidae indet., así como varias formas indeterminadas de las familias Braconidae e Ichneumonidae. Todos estos taxa, a excepción de los Formicidae, son poco comunes en el registro fósil. En Ribesalbes estos taxa están representados por un único ejemplar, a excepción de los dos especímenes del género Bombus. Se incluyen observaciones de tipo tafonómico y se proponen dos métodos útiles para el estudio de insectos fósiles en compresión que han experimentado deformaciones tectónicas, como es el caso de los insectos de Ribesalbes. Palabras clave: Insecta, Hymenoptera, Medio lacustre, Mioceno Inferior, España

Rediscovery of the Moratalla amber (Murcia, Spain): a Cretaceous outcrop in the southernmost end of the peninsular amber strip

This study is a contribution of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness project CGL2011-23948/BTE

Cretaceous mycelia preserving fungal polysaccharides: taphonomic and paleoecological potential of microorganisms preserved in fossil resins

The cortices of pieces of Cretaceous amber around the world commonly are constituted by networks of filamentous structures. Based on their morphological characteristics, such structures have previously been classified in different microorganismal groups. Their correct interpretation, however, is of great importance to establish the conditions of the resin's burial in the forest litter, and can provide important clues regarding the ecology and environmental conditions of Cretaceous resinous forests. Because these networks of filamentous structures present typical fungal morphological features we conducted a study in order to resolve their origin. The cortices of several pieces of Cretaceous amber from Spain were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This is the first time that Calcofluor white and Wheat germ agglutinin conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate have been employed as fungal markers in amber, and their use enabled us to detect preserved polysaccharides in the filamentous structures using confocal laser scanning microscopy. These results provide the first and oldest record of ß-1,3 and ß-1,4-linked polysaccharides, and specifically N-acetylglucosamine residues from chitin in a fossil fungus preserved in amber, and to demonstrate that the networks of filamentous structures are mycelia composed of profuse hyphae of a resinicolous fungus. This type of mycelium constitutes one of the largest fungal fossil records known. Using taphonomic data, it is demonstrated that the cortices originated during the Cretaceous due to fungal growth within non-solidified resin. The fossil diagenetic degradation sequence of the fungal hyphae and the surrounding amber is described. This degradation changed the microscopic appearance of the hyphae; thus, some of the previously indicated taxonomic features of this microorganism may actually be fossil diagenetic artifacts. The paleoecological implications with regard to fungal trophic requirements and forest environmental conditions are discusse

The World Heritage Convention and cultural landscapes of the enlightened Spanish Royal Arsenals: The case of the Royal Arsenal of Cartagena (Spain)

In 1992 the World Heritage Convention became the first international legal instrument to recognise and protect cultural landscapes. The Committee acknowledged that cultural landscapes represent the "combined works of nature and of man". In 1994, the World Heritage Committee launched the Global Strategy for a representative, balanced and credible World Heritage List. To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. The principal core of this investigation is going to know and to analyze the urban impact, territorial effects and heritage dimension that construction of the enlightened Spanish Royal Arsenals has meant for their cities. It will be known trough the case study, the Royal Arsenal of Cartagena. At last, this research to determine which of the selection criteria of Unesco can be present in these defensive cultural landscapes

Revision of the fossil figitid wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea) described from compression deposits during the first half of the 20th century

En la presente investigación se revisan los holotipos de las avispas fósiles del Cenozoico atribuidas a la familia Figitidae, las cuales fueron descritas en la primera mitad del siglo XX por Charles T. Brues y Georg Statz provenientes de los yacimientos de Florissant (EE.UU.) y Rott-am-Siebengebirge (Alemania), respectivamente. Se proponen los siguientes cambios taxonómicos: Palaeogronotoma? sola (Brues) n. comb., Aulacidea rotundata (Statz) n. comb., A. plana (Statz) n. comb. y A. spiniger (Statz) n. comb. Los cambios taxonómicos para las tres últimas especies indicadas han implicado su emplazamiento en el género actual Aulacidea, de la familia Cynipidae, y por lo tanto no pertenecen a la familia Figitidae como se consideró originalmente en 1938. La revisión de una especie fósil originalmente descrita en 1919, conservada en ámbar báltico, muestra que posee un conjunto único de caracteres para la familia Cynipidae, permitiendo la descripción de una nueva tribu: Kinseycynipsini n. tribe. Se hacen indicaciones taxonómicas referidas a otras tres especies de cinípidos fósiles. La adscripción taxonómica correcta de las especies fósiles de figítidos y cinípidos descritas hace alrededor de un siglo es importante para entender la evolución de estas dos familias de cinipoideos, las cuales desempeñan un importante papel ecológico en los ecosistemas terrestres actuales. También se proporcionan listas actualizadas de las especies fósiles de figítidos y cinípidos conocidas

Terrestrial Isopods from Spanish Amber (Crustacea: Oniscidea): Insights into the Cretaceous Soil Biota.

Terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Oniscidea) are a model group for studying the colonization of land. However, their fossil record is remarkably scarce and restricted to amber inclusions, and therefore amber deposits represent valuable windows to their past diversity and morphology. Here we present a new collection of 11 terrestrial isopod specimens preserved in Albian-aged amber from the Peñacerrada I outcrop, northern Spain, which collectively represent the most thoroughly documented fauna of Mesozoic Oniscidea. The three new genera and species identified belong to three of five major groups of the Oniscidea: Eoligiiscus tarraconensis, new genus and species (Ligiidae), Autrigoniscus resinicola, new genus and species (Synocheta: Trichoniscidae), and Heraclitus helenae, new genus and species (Crinocheta: Detonidae?). These taxa significantly expand the known fossil record of Oniscidea and demonstrate that considerable cladogenesis had already transpired by the Albian. The assemblage represents the earliest-known diversification of Oniscidea, extending direct evidence of terrestrialization in the group back to the late Early Cretaceous. These new taxa exhibit some characteristics that may inform hypotheses relating to general patterns of terrestrial isopod evolution. A discussion is provided about different aspects of the paleoecology and biology of the fossils compared to the Recent fauna. The new species indicate that Cretaceous isopods were a group of considerable adaptive diversity, exhibiting innovations analogous to what Recent isopods would exhibit 105 million years later

Unravelling the mystery of 'Madagascar copal': Age, origin and preservation of a Recent resin

The loss of biodiversity during the Anthropocene is a constant topic of discussion, especially in the top biodiversity hotspots, such as Madagascar. In this regard, the study of preserved organisms through time, like those included in 'Madagascar copal', is of relevance. 'Madagascar copal' originated from the leguminous tree Hymenaea verrucosa, which produced and produces resin abundantly. In the last 20 years, interest has focused on the scientific study of its biological inclusions, mainly arthropods, described in dozens of publications. The age and origin of the deposits of 'Madagascar copal' have not yet been resolved. Our objectives are to determine its age and geographical origin, and thus increase its scientific value as a source of biological/palaeobiological information. Although Hymenaea was established in Madagascar during the Miocene, we did not find geological deposits of copal or amber in the island. It is plausible that the evolution of those deposits was negatively conditioned by the type of soil, by the climate, and by the development of soil/litter microorganisms, which inhibit preservation of the resin pieces in the litter and subsoil over 300 years. Our results indicate that 'Madagascar copal' is a Recent resin, up to a few hundred years old, that originated from Hymenaea trees growing in the lowland coastal forests, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. The included and preserved biota is representative of that ecosystem today and during historical times. Inclusions in this Recent resin do not have the palaeontological significance that has been mistakenly attributed to them, but they do have relevant implications for studies regarding Anthropocene biodiversity loss in this hottest hotspot