Preservation of three-dimensional anatomy in phosphatized fossil arthropods enriches evolutionary inference

External and internal morphological characters of extant and fossil organisms are crucial to establishing their systematic position, ecological role and evolutionary trends. The lack of internal characters and soft-tissue preservation in many arthropod fossils, however, impedes comprehensive phylogenetic analyses and species descriptions according to taxonomic standards for Recent organisms. We found well-preserved three-dimensional anatomy in mineralized arthropods from Paleogene fissure fillings and demonstrate the value of these fossils by utilizing digitally reconstructed anatomical structure of a hister beetle. The new anatomical data facilitate a refinement of the species diagnosis and allowed us to reject a previous hypothesis of close phylogenetic relationship to an extant congeneric species. Our findings suggest that mineralized fossils, even those of macroscopically poor preservation, constitute a rich but yet largely unexploited source of anatomical data for fossil arthropods

First record and a new species of the fossil dragonfly genus Proinogomphus (Odonata: Liassogomphidae) from the Early Jurassic of Bascharage in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Bechly, Günter (2018): First record and a new species of the fossil dragonfly genus Proinogomphus (Odonata: Liassogomphidae) from the Early Jurassic of Bascharage in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Zootaxa 4450 (1): 108-114, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4450.1.

A re-description of the fossil damselfly Eolestes syntheticus Cockerell, 1940 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Eolestidae n. fam.) with description of new taxa from the Eocene of North America

Greenwalt, Dale E., Bechly, Günter (2014): A re-description of the fossil damselfly Eolestes syntheticus Cockerell, 1940 (Odonata: Zygoptera: Eolestidae n. fam.) with description of new taxa from the Eocene of North America. Zootaxa 3887 (2): 138-156, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3887.2.

First Record of Anisoptera (Insecta: Odonata) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber

Schädel, Mario, Bechly, Günter (2016): First Record of Anisoptera (Insecta: Odonata) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese Amber. Zootaxa 4103 (6): 537-549, DOI: http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4103.6.

A new genus of hawker dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera: Aeshnidae) from the Early Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark

Bechly, Günter, Rasmussen, Jan Audun (2019): A new genus of hawker dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera: Aeshnidae) from the Early Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark. Zootaxa 4550 (1): 123-128, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4550.1.

Revision of the giant pterygote insect <i>Bojophlebia prokopi</i> Kukalová-Peck, 1985 (Hydropalaeoptera: Bojophlebiidae) from the Carboniferous of the Czech Republic, with the first cladistic analysis of fossil palaeopterous insects

<div><p>The holotype is redescribed of the giant pterygote insect <i>Bojophlebia prokopi</i> Kukalová-Peck, 1985 from the Pennsylvanian of the Czech Republic. Multiple errors in the original description are documented and corrected. <i>Bojophlebia prokopi</i> has neither any visible traces of a costal brace nor an anal brace, but it does show triadic branchings of MA, MP, CuA, and even, as rare a plesiomorphy, of CuP. It is therefore rejected as a fossil stem mayfly and attributed as sister group of all other Hydropalaeoptera. The first cladistic analysis of fossil palaeopterous insects, including different palaeodictyopterid groups, is presented. A revised phylogeny of Hydropalaeoptera and the stem line of Ephemeroptera are suggested. Palaeodictyopterida is recognized as sister group of Neoptera; thus Palaeoptera <i>s.l</i>. is rejected as a paraphyletic taxon. Four new higher taxa – Paranotalia, Euhydropalaeoptera, Neopterygota and Litophlebioidea superfam. nov. – are introduced, as well as the new family Lithoneuridae.</p><p><a href="http://zoobank.org/urn/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1B16D6AB-2B29-4891-A61D-7A9212A85493" target="_blank">http://zoobank.org/urn/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1B16D6AB-2B29-4891-A61D-7A9212A85493</a></p></div

Mesomegaloprepidae, a remarkable new damselfly family (Odonata: Zygoptera) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

International audienceMesomegaloprepus magnificus gen. et sp. nov. (Odonata: Zygoptera) is described from more than 14 specimens in eight pieces of mid-Cretaceous (earliest Cenomanian, ca. 99 Ma) amber from Myanmar. Possible phylogenetic affinities with the Neotropical Latibasaliidae, Thaumatoneuridae, and Pseudostigmatinae are discussed, and a relationship with Pseudostigmatinae considered as possible, but because of conflicting evidence separate family status as Mesomegaloprepidae fam. nov. is tentatively preferred. The remarkable degree of homoplastic conflict in the wing venational similarities indicates that these represent relatively weak evidence for phylogenetic relationships. The palaeoecology, including sexual dimorphism in wing colouration, of the new taxon is discussed, and the large number of inclusions explained with possible breeding behaviour in association with water-filled tree holes (phytotelmata) of the amber tree, similar to extant Pseudostigmatinae. The position of all alleged fossil Thaumatoneuridae are discussed and revised: Eothaumatoneura ptychoptera Pongracz, 1935 from the Eocene Geiseltal locality is restored in Thaumatoneuridae. Cretaceous Euarchistigma and Paleogene Eodysagrion are tentatively retained as subfamilies Euarchistigmatinae and Eodysagrioninae in Thaumatoneuridae. Paleogene Dysagrioninae and Petrolestinae are removed from Thaumatoneuridae and attributed to a restored family Dysagrionidae, and Paleocene Latibasaliidae is transferred from Amphipterygoidea to Epallagoidea